Ice Petals
by daymarket
Summary: AU Selena decides to flee Morzan's castle, taking a four-year-old Murtagh with her. Morzan, enraged, chases after her to try to get her back.
1. Escape and Discovery

**Very, very, VERY long AN at the bottom. Explains a whole lotta stuff I don't want to clutter up the front with. So…enjoy!**

Murtagh woke up at the first touch of her hand, sitting up worriedly at the pinched expression on her face. "Mommy?" he said uncertainly, searching his mother's face. "What's wrong?"

"Shh," Selena said softly, brushing back Murtagh's hair. "There's no time for questions. Come with me, my love. _Quietly_."

Murtagh hesitated, then threw back the covers. Selena stood up unsteadily, her hair glowing in the dim lamplight. "This way."

Swinging the door open slightly, Selena peered fearfully both ways down the hall before slipping out the door. Murtagh followed her, anxiety building in his chest as they padded down the hall. Selena was dressed for travel, in riding breeches and a thick sweater. Her secretive manner, the way she tiptoed down the halls of their home—

Something was wrong.

It was late, now—even the evening shift of servants had gone to bed. Selena hurried to the stables, her grip on Murtagh's hand growing tighter with nerves as she ran out from the shelter of the manor into the cool night air.

"Mommy?" Murtagh tried again, glancing uneasily at Selena's face. "Mommy, what's going on? Did Father say we could go—?"

"Not now—" Selena began, and stopped with a tired sigh upon seeing the stubborn expression on Murtagh's face. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "Murtagh—"

"My lady?"

Selena whirled around, alarm clear on her face as Triannon, the steward of the estates, emerged through the stable door. "Triannon!" Selena cried, her eyes wild and panicked. "Triannon, what're you doing up so late?"

"I could ask the same thing of you, my lady," Triannon said mildly. "I don't suppose there's a reason why you're out here in the middle of the night?"

Selena stepped in front of Murtagh, seeking to shelter him. "Go back to sleep," she ordered, although the wobble in her voice betrayed her nerves. "There's nothing here, Triannon—"

"To the contrary, my lady, there seems to be much more than your husband would allow," Triannon said calmly. "I believe his orders were for you to be confined to the castle while he was away, were they not? Yet here you stand here, seemingly willing to defy his direct orders. With your _son_, no less—"

"Triannon—" Selena breathed, shaking her head frantically. "You wouldn't betray us, would you? Please. You never saw anything, never heard anything. Don't give us away—"

"I cannot, my lady," Triannon said softly. While her eyes reflected traces of pity and understanding, her voice was firm. "I think it would serve the interests of all if you returned to the castle now—"

"_Slytha!_" Selena cried, startling the horses. The mare closest to them reared, white showing around her eyes at the presence of magic. Triannon slumped to the ground, her body collapsing as the magic forced her into sleep. Selena leaned against the stable door, gasping for breath. "There," she panted. "That's her taken care of. Murtagh—"

"Tria?" Murtagh breathed, staring wide-eyed at the unconscious steward. He glanced quickly at his mother, biting his lip. "Mommy, what did you do—"

"I did what I had to!" Selena snapped, breathing hard. "I did what your father taught me to do. All of them, they jump to his every command; they're bars in this golden cage. Listen to me, Murtagh." She knelt down, staring passionately into his eyes. "We have to leave. Can't you understand? Another one of his drunken rages and he'll throw that damned sword of his, and it won't just lay your back open. It'll _kill_ you! He can't control himself—"

"But—"

"Don't!" Selena said, her voice nearly hysterical. "Stop defending him! He's not who he was! He can't—" she stopped, audibly forcing back a sob in her throat. "He can't forgive himself for his past wrongs, your father, and he will only get _worse_."

She stopped, her face pale as she stared at Murtagh. He stared at her, awed and a little shocked by his mother's uncharacteristic rage. She was usually so meek—Father was the angry one, the one whose fury was feared by all.

"Is it something I did?" he asked finally, his voice small and tentative.

Selena laughed, a bitter, mocking sound. "Nothing you did. It's nothing anybody did, nothing that anybody could prevent. Except me, only I too did nothing until it was too late. And see what price I paid—a scar upon your back and the near-death of my son." She tightened her grip on his arm, resting her chin on his hair. "If you had died, I would have, too. I will not risk something like that happening again."

Selena trailed off, staring listlessly into space. Murtagh said nothing, one hand trailing to touch the scar that trailed across his back. A phantom pain twinged under his fingers as he touched it, remnants of the fire that had nearly killed him.

"It's okay, Mommy," he said quietly. "I understand."

Selena pulled back, a rueful smile building on her lips. "That's my lad," she said softly, brushing back his hair. "Always brave for your ailing mother." She kissed him gently on the forehead, standing up with a rustle of cloth. "We're going to take Topsy out for a ride," she said, patting the mare's side. "There're places we can go to, to be safe. Safe from…"

She didn't finish, her words left hanging in the air as she tightened the mare's saddle. Murtagh watched her dig out a burlap sack from the hay, tying it onto the mare's back.

"Father doesn't know?" he asked suddenly.

Selena turned slightly, her eyes glittering in the dim light. "No. Father doesn't." She cast a troubled look at the unconscious Triannon, her voice containing a tremor when she next spoke. "Yet, anyway."

She emphasized this with a sharp jerk on Topsy's reins. The mare snorted uneasily, pawing the ground with a sharp toss of her head. "Easy," Selena murmured, stroking the mare unsteadily. "Down, lass." She glanced sharply at Murtagh, nodding. "Come here, I'll boost you up."

Murtagh hesitated, staring at her from across the stable. Selena stilled as he gave no indication of moving, doubt flickering in her eyes. "Murtagh..."

He didn't move, uncertainty darkening his face. Instinctively, he knew—there was a choice here, a dilemma that he could not take lightly. Father or Mommy? Stay or go? Home, with all its troubles and fears—or the unknown, with whatever possible fates that lay out there?

"Murtagh," Selena said softly, seeing the indecision that flickered across his face. "Don't..."

He glanced uneasily at her, his stomach churning. Could he? Should he? Behind Selena, Triannon stirred slightly, moaning in her sleep. The steward was kind to him. All the servants were. If he could just stay out of Father's way—

But without Mommy? Could he do that?

He knew the answer even as his body moved instinctively, the choice taken for him. Selena's face filled with a sharp flush of relief as she bolstered him into the saddle, her hands trembling as she did so. She said nothing, and so did he—his action was words enough for both of them.

"Go," Selena whispered to Topsy, flapping her reins sharply. The mare neighed softly, tossing her head as she galloped out of the stable and into the night.

XYX

Morzan jumped off Aderes's back and landed smoothly on his feet. He wavered for a moment, before leaning against Aderes side with his eyes clenched close tightly.

_Still alive, Morzan?_ Aderes asked lightly though there was an underline of concern.

_Fine_, Morzan answered as his head stopped spinning. _Just dizzy and tired_.

_Oh good. Now get off, you stink, _Aderes rumbled as he nudged the man with his snout.

Morzan grunted and pushed away, stumbling slightly before walking straight. This recent battle with the Varden was, to put it plainly, exhausting. His clothes and armor were torn and dirty, while his left arm was practically mangled. His side ached thanks to a blow from a spiked club, and his right thigh was still bleeding from the arrow that went right to the bone. Morzan couldn't recall being in such a bloody state in a long time.

"Bloody rebels," he muttered lowly, pushing the door to his estate open with his good hand. He took a moment to look around, satisfied to see that everything was in order. He liked to see his home in the state that he wanted in. Aderes said this was because he was a controlling bastard but Morzan just believed that it was thanks to his dislike for change.

_Now where the hell are the servants?_ Morzan wondered, noting that the halls were empty.

Limping down the halls, Morzan began to realize that it was only the servants who were missing, but also the guards, maids and gardeners. Norwood Manor was completely deserted of any signs of life.

Alarmed, Morzan began to move quicker while bellowing out for his head steward, "Triannon! _Triannon_!"

At the second call the slender woman appeared, breathing heavily and deathly pale. She curtsied to her liege gracefully, keeping her head down all the while. "Welcome back, my lord."

"Triannon, where is everyone?" Morzan demanded, not wasting any time in pleasantries.

Triannon looked up and met his eyes in regret. "They are out looking for the lady Selena and the young master. They... left late last night. I swear, milord—I tried to stop her! But she used some type of... of—of _magic_ on me! I was unconscious on the ground, and when I awoke it was to find your wife and son gone. I've...I've ordered the entire household to search for them since."

It took a moment for all this information to sink in. Triannon stared at him uneasily, shifting from one foot to another as fear tingled down her spine. Then Morzan was stalking away from the shaky woman, running down the corridors of his home into his son's room.

Morzan stormed about the child's room, throwing open doors and trunks as he frantically searched for his only child. When he finally realized nothing was to be found, he left the room for Selena's only to find the same results.

With shaking hands, Morzan picked up the crystal mirror from the vanity and stared at it mutely. His reflection stared back, showing the murderous anger that was etched clearly across his face. Morzan stared at it for a moment before crushing it in both hands, yelling out a name that echoed through the halls of Norwood Manor and all the land surrounding it, striking fear in all who heard the cry...

"SELENA!"

XYX

**AN:**

**Holy shit, it's been an entire year since I last set foot on this site. (Give or take a couple months, at any rate.) Anyway, here goes. Groveling excuses, etcetera…**

**The past year has been extremely hectic for me, in more than one way. A whole lot of crap that usually only appears in corny Lifetime movies happened, and well, let's just say that writing wasn't exactly on my list of priorities. But that's all behind me; I'm more or less in one piece, and ready to start writing again. (Insert unenthusiastic 'yay' here.)**

**So, anyway. Regarding this story. This first chapter was originally posted on the account silverblizzard, as a joint fic between me and Silver Pup (it's still up there. I can't remember the login email, so I suppose it's going to stay there forever). If I recall correctly, Silver Pup wrote the bottom of this chapter, the stuff about Morzan, and I did the stuff about Selena and Murtagh. Anyway. I was digging through my computer aimlessly about a week ago when I discovered this story, hidden somewhere in some archaic file. It sparked some kind of writing inspiration and so…**

**Chapter 2 is the result, and hopefully many more chapters to go. (Oh, and it will be continued solely by me, in case you're wondering.) Let me see, what else? Oh, yeah. This is an AU fic set in the Roses/Ice universe, which is basically a paired trilogy of fics done by me and Silver Pup a loooooong time ago. Wow. A looooong time ago, really loooong.**

**-coughs- Enough babbling. Chapter 2 is posted, and hopefully you'll like it and forgive me for my very, very, VERY long absence from this site. And review, maybe? –grins cheesily- I would appreciate any reviews very much!**

**-Blizzard**


	2. Calculation and Rant

In his very long lifetime, Morzan had learned enough curses in elvish, common, urgal, and dwarvish to fill ten dictionaries. Within five minutes of learning of Selena's disappearance, he managed to use them all, as well as a few that he invented at the spur of the moment. Through all this, his mind was frozen, spinning with shock. Selena left him. Selena _left _him. Selena left _him. She left him…_

Aderes sat beside him as he stalked back and forth on the castle grounds, treading carelessly on the intricate flower gardens that Selena had designed, listening patiently as Morzan ran through his tirade. _You know,_ the red dragon commented after a while, _I don't quite think this is helping—_

_SHE LEFT ME, YOU FOUL LIZARD!_ Morzan roared. _THE LITTLE BITCH LEFT ME—TOOK MY SON WITH HER—_

Aderes eyed him sharply. _Well, screaming at me isn't helping. And call me a lizard again and you won't be able to _have_ another son. _Getting up, the red dragon started to pace in a slow, leisurely circle around the enraged Rider. _So Selena left, did she? Well, do you want to get her back?_

_Of course_, Morzan snapped, still fuming. _And I'll chain her up in the dungeon when I do, and Murtagh with her!_

If it was possible for a scaly red dragon to look skeptical, Aderes managed it. _I'm sure that's one of the facts that endeared her to you. I'm not that surprised, you know, after you threw Zar'roc at Murtagh—_

_Shut up_, Morzan growled, barely recognizing his own voice. _Just shut up, Aderes._

Aderes gave him a long look, which Morzan matched squarely. Finally, the red dragon sighed and looked away. _Whatever you say. _

Morzan bit his tongue, fighting to get himself under control. The copper tang of blood in his mouth helped stabilize the rage, but brought other emotions to the surface. He could taste the disapproval in Aderes's mind, could feel his own shame and sorrow and—no. No, no, no, no, no.

It was just an accident. And Murtagh got better in the end. So it was over.

Over. Yes.

He inhaled deeply, forcing his mind away from the issue. "All right," he said out loud after a long moment, when he was sure he could talk without screaming—or cursing, for that matter. _I'm going to get her back, Aderes. Her and Murtagh._

_Of course_, Aderes said, his voice coolly neutral.

_I can't scry her—I taught her myself how to protect herself from that. _But… he trailed off_. I think she'll go to Carvahall. That's where her brother is, and anyway, I can use him to draw her out if all else fails._

_You'll need to inform the king_, Aderes pointed out.

_I know that._ Morzan began to pace, as he turned plans and ideas over in his mind. _I'm sure he'll give me leave to pursue her. And…it should be easy. Simple. Triannon told me she used a horse to escape, so at the very least I should have some tracks. And…yes._

_Yes?_

Morzan stared blindly off into the distance, struggling to dampen the sudden wellspring of—of what, exactly? Selena was a rational woman. She was smart. Beautiful. So innocent, but so…aware. She knew how to manage for herself, and she knew how to escape a trap, a cage, that she didn't want…

_So why did she leave me?_

"I was good to her, Aderes," Morzan said softly, needing the reassurance of hearing the words, as if somehow, hearing them would make them true. "I loved—love her. And she loves me."

_So why, why, _why_ did she leave me?_

_Best not to beat yourself up over this right now_, Aderes said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. _You won't find the answers you're looking for, Morzan. Not now. _

"I don't need answers," Morzan whispered. "I don't need them because—because I _know_ them already! I don't—"

He stopped. When he spoke again, his voice was hard, impersonal. His emotions, so fragile and inconclusive, were tightly under control.

"I'll go send a message to the king, Aderes," he said, quite calmly. As the initial shock of adrenaline wore off, he added, "And get an emergency healing for my battle wounds. Are you all right, Aderes?"

_Physically, yes_.

"Then we'll leave before sunset. Get some sleep. I'll wake you when it's time to leave."

Aderes said nothing to this command, simply taking wing to his tower roost. Morzan watched him go, then limped inside to scry a message to the king.

XYX

It was sometime the next morning that Selena woke up to the fact that what she was doing was in fact, insane. Here she was, with only a meager purse of crowns to her name, dragging her child with her to some unknown destination, and oh yes, hunted down by the Rider all knew as the king's right hand.

Dramatic escapes didn't get much worse than that.

She looked down at her sleeping son, smoothing his hair with a trembling hand. Some nights, she could still see him—her only child, so young, so innocent—a pool of blood around him, and that ghastly sword stained red with his blood. And then there was Morzan—staggering up, lumbering to their bedroom to collapse as a drunken mess.

_Never again_, she vowed, digging her nails into her palms. Her lips firmed, and she sat up straight. She had some time now, at least a day's head start. Or at least a few hours. She could make plans, decide on a destination, figure out what to do…

Murtagh stirred in her lap and woke, blinking sleepily against the shadowy light that filtered through the forest. "Mommy?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Where are…where are we?"

"We're in the forest, sweetie," she said softly. "We're going to go to—" she hesitated, and then said firmly, "We're going to go to a friend's house. Then we're going to go onto a big boat, and then we'll sail for Surda." Yes, that was a plan. Surda was another country, and Morzan wouldn't be able to just go charging in and ripping up homes. He'd have to be more careful, more diplomatic.

Fortunately, diplomacy was not an area in which Morzan excelled.

"A boat?" Murtagh asked, his brow wrinkling in thought. "I've never seen a boat, Mommy."

"Well, it's not that strange," Selena said, momentarily distracted. "It's like a big wooden horse, my love, except it travels on water. Instead of eating grass, it eats the wind and uses it to move across the sea. It's big and fast, and it'll take us to Surda…" She trailed off, struck by a sudden ominous thought. Garrow.

If he couldn't find her, Morzan would take Garrow, her only surviving relative and her brother. He'd torture him, hold him, use him to flush her out of hiding.

_No_.

"But first, honey, we're going to go visit Uncle Garrow," she said. Standing up, she boosted Murtagh onto the horse's saddle before mounting. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Uncle Garrow?"

Murtagh thought about this for a moment, then nodded. "I like Uncle Garrow and Aunt Marion," he confided, settling into her arms. "They're always very nice to me. And they said that the next time I visited, they'd give me one of Daisi's puppies."

"That's wonderful," she said softly, flapping Topsy's reins. "Maybe they can still give you one, huh? You could train it to hunt—"

"Mommy," Murtagh said abruptly, "are we leaving Father forever?"

Selena clenched her teeth, trying to phrase an answer that she herself didn't know. "Forever's a long time," she said, playing for time. "Nothing lasts forever, my love."

Murtagh shook his head. "But for us. When I grow up. Will I still see him?"

Selena didn't say anything for a long moment. "I don't know," she whispered. "I suppose…I suppose not. But I can't say, not really."

Murtagh seemed to ponder this answer, his small face deep in thought. When she was sure that her son wasn't looking, Selena swiped at an errant tear that threatened to trickle down her face.

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. –hugs-**


	3. Character and Withdrawal

**-insert witty babble here-**

XYXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_About two days further to Carvahall_, Aderes reported, his great wings beating easily with the rush of the air. _Have you thought this through, though?_

_What?_ Morzan snapped. The pit of tension in his stomach had been growing with each passing wingbeat, and the irritating sound of his dragon's voice wasn't helping. _What do you want?_

_Oh, am I bothering you?_ Aderes said snippily, hearing the irritation in Morzan's voice. _Sorry, then. I'll leave you to mope._

_I'm not moping_, Morzan snarled.

Aderes did not answer to this. Morzan gritted his teeth, his hands tightening on the reins. He was wrong. Again. Every single damn time, he was always the one in the wrong…

Galbatorix had not reacted as Morzan had expected. Was a few days leave _too_ much to ask? Did he, Morzan really have to take care of _every single tiny thing_ in the empire? Were the empire's armies _so damn weak _that he had to lead every single battle, fight every single war? All he needed was a few days. A few days to find Selena, to put her back into her place where she belonged…

Morzan inhaled sharply, squeezing his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he was startled to find that his hands were trembling. A fine dew of sweat covered his body, even though it was cold up in the high altitude.

How long was it since he last drank?

Fumbling, Morzan tried to count up the days, the hours. The last time was two days before the battle. Then maybe two days to clean up, fly back, and hear about that wife of his. Then it took about three hours to convince Galbatorix to let him chase after Selena, then two more hours to get ready to fly, then an hour's flight before they stopped to rest for the night, and they'd been flying since morning, and now it was afternoon…

Damn it. Damn it all.

Fumbling clumsily, he worked at the straps of his pack, pulling it open with inept fingers. He worked at the stubborn cork, all too aware that what he was doing was wrong—he should stop, dismount Aderes, and _then_ take a drink. Or better yet not drink at all…

The lukewarm liquid sloshed down his tunic and jerkin as he drank, but Morzan didn't mind. The pounding in his head eased, and the coil of tension in his stomach unknotted slowly. It was all right. It was going to be fine.

Distantly, he could feel Aderes's disapproval, but the thrill of alcohol-fueled belligerence and confidence in his system overruled any objections the dragon might have.

XYXXXXXXXXXX

Selena pulled Topsy to a halt, patting the mare's heaving sides soothingly. They'd been riding for most of the day—a hard, punishing pace that would wear out even the sturdiest horse. Much as she needed to hurry, killing her only mount would achieve nothing.

Murtagh jerked awake from his half-doze as Selena helped him dismount, his eyes blinking open. He yawned for a long moment, his hazel eyes unfocused. "Mommy?" he managed finally.

"Yes?" Selena asked absently, her eyes sweeping their surroundings. If the map she'd stolen was right, then they should reach Uru'baen by early tomorrow. Or, if she kept on going and half-killed Topsy, by late night. _If_ she was lucky and didn't get intercepted by raiders, nomads, or other unsavory characters...

And of course, that was far too slow. Morzan had Aderes—a horse was no match for dragon, ever. By the time she reached Garrow, she'd be lucky to have a brother to rescue, instead of a charred pile of bones.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Murtagh, who was tugging at the hem of her skirt with a pleading expression. "Is there food, Mommy?" he asked.

He looks just like Morzan, Selena thought bleakly. He'll never escape the legacy of his father, no matter how far we go.

"Yes, my love," Selena said as Murtagh tugged again. Reaching up to Topsy's saddle, she slid the tack and bridle off of the horse to allow the mare to graze. Digging in her rucksack, she examined their rations with a depressed eye—she hadn't dared to take too much from the kitchens, for fear of being found out. After a moment, she pulled out a wedge of dried jerky wrapped in bread and a flagon of water and handed them to Murtagh. The boy took them, then hesitated when she made no further move.

"What about you, Mommy?"

Selena heard the worry and turned back to look at her son. His hazel eyes were round with anxiety as he balanced the food uncertainly in his hands. "What is it?"

"What'll you eat?" Murtagh asked.

Selena smiled faintly. "Mommy will be fine, Murtagh. Don't worry about it. Go on. Eat your food; you need to keep up your strength."

Murtagh didn't move, a faint crease appearing between his eyebrows. Selena sighed and turned away, her mind going back to the question she'd been pondering for hours, during their desperate ride—how could she get to Garrow in time? She'd heard of several ways to send a message by magical means, but she knew none of the practical details and anyway, such a message would be easily intercepted. Plus, she didn't have the power, anyway. But there was no way she could beat Morzan to Garrow at the pace she was setting right now, and she needed to—

A light touch on her hands interrupted her frantic thoughts. Startled, Selena looked down to see Murtagh push a chunk of bread into her hands. She glanced at him—he'd given her the lion's share of the food.

"Murtagh—" she began, but he shook his head.

"Mommy needs to keep up her strength too," he said firmly. "So don't give it back because I won't eat it."

Selena stared at his stubborn face, the obstinate set of his jaw. He wasn't going to give in. Not now, not ever; threats, promises, or pleading wouldn't change his mind, once it was set. And set it was.

"Oh," she said softly. "Thank you."

He nodded and turned away. Selena watched him wander a short distance away, finally settling at the base of a tree to nibble what food he had. She slid down to sit on the grass, lost deeply in thought.

XYXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Garrow!"

Garrow looked up from his fields, wiping his brow clear of sweat at he squinted against the hot afternoon sun. Beside him, the dogs—Daisi, Mackerol, and their latest litter of pups—barked madly, running up to greet the newcomer. "What—Marian?" he asked, a frown crossing his face as he regarded his wife. "What is it, Marian? I'm working. Dogs, hush."

"I know," she panted, ignoring the dogs. "But it's about Roran."

Garrow frowned. Roran was his only son—the only surviving one, that was, their first child having died a year and a half ago. "What's he doing now?" he asked, biting back a groan. "I swear, if he gets into Horst's smith again…I've told him again and again not to play with hammers, but does he listen?"

Marian didn't smile. "He's ill, Garrow," she said quietly. "There's a cough in his chest that's not gone away, and Gertrude finds herself helpless against it. Come on."

Alarmed now, Garrow threw down his hoe and hurried with his wife back to their small cottage, where a fire was lit in the chimney. In the main room, sickly, weak coughs filled the air--Roran was wrapped in a blanket, hacking up phlegm into a small bowl. Beside him, Gertrude, the village healer, looked up with worried eyes.

Garrow knelt down to touch his son's forehead—it was hot, and his face was flushed with fever. "Gods, no," he whispered softly. "Don't take my child from me. Not again."

"He's not coughing blood, Garrow, so all may yet be right," Gertrude said, but her voice lacked conviction. "I'd keep him warm, and give him a cup of crushed herbs with milk every hour. But other than that..."

She trailed off. Marian looked up sharply. "Other than that what?"

"It's the coughing pox, Marian," Gertrude said softly.

Marian paled—the coughing pox had taken many a child from the village; it had taken her first child, a girl, at six months. "It'll not take my child again," she hissed softly.

Gertrude didn't say anything for a long moment. "We all hope not, Marian," she said softly. "But it's best to be prepared."

XYZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

**Review responses!**

**PSfan712: **Lol, thanks. Me liketh dogs, plus I figured maybe a puppy or two would give Murtagh some companionship or something in the chapters ahead. Assuming I let him keep a puppy instead of torturing him like I do to all my characters eventually. (Yes I'm evil.) XD

**Flyingxdragonx123:** Hmm, I'm not sure. See, while in the prequel trilogies Eragon was most definitely Morzan's son, I've heard several theories that Brom is in fact Eragon's father. So I don't know right now which lucky guy is going to be Eragon's dad. –shrugs- So that'll affect when we see the little wannabe dragon rider appear.

**24 Demon Ice Mirrors**: Yeah, well, he was a kid sometime. XD I figure he didn't get all bitter and cynical till later. After Selena died and all.

…: Thanks! I haven't read another fic with a similar plotline, but then again, I haven't been on the site for a whole year so there's a whole lotta stuff I missed.

**Mistress-of-Misery**: Heya! –hugs back- Long time no see. Yesh, I am in fact alive and walking this earth. Rawwr.

I have a…vague…idea. Sort of. I don't know. I mean, it'll kind of stick to the book and kinda stick to the trilogies but as to the actual ending I have no freaking idea. Will Selena and Morzan kiss and make up, will Morzan find Selena, get pissed off, and kill her, will this or will that…I don't know. XD But I like that it's AU so this won't be affected by _Brisingr_ in September.

**So. Short. But fast. **

**I have never been drunk, so Morzan's experience of alcohol withdrawal might be a little off to those (un)lucky ones who have. Anyway. Hope it was realistic.**

**Thank you to all those who reviewed! –hugs- Luffluff. Please continue to read and review; feedback is greatly appreciated!**


	4. Revelation and Memory

**There are some adult concepts in this chapter. NOTHING GRAPHIC OR DESCRIPTIVE. However, this story is rated 'T' for a reason, and that's not because it's filled with happy bunnies who marry each other, stay faithful all their days, and then die a happy bunny life. Morzan may be a superawesomecoolstrongamazing Rider, but he's still a guy and has all the weaknesses and strengths of the human race. So just be prepared. Personally, I don't think it's too bad, but if you have any objections, well, please inform me and I'll see what I can do.**

XXXXXX7XXXXXX

Uru'baen.

From her hiding place in the woods, Selena peered at the far-off gates of the capital with dread, her stomach roiling with tight knots. She had been there many times before, in her capacity as Morzan's wife—and later on, his spy. The emperor's palace was there; that was reason enough to avoid the place.

She sighed and looked at Murtagh, who watched her worried face with anxiety. He was tired, dirty, and hungry from a day of hard riding—they both were. Topsy was nearly half-dead from exhaustion; the mare needed a long rest. And the mare could at least eat grass; their rations were perilously low, not that they were that well-stocked to begin with, and the water was in even worse supply, with only one flask left.

_Just one night_, she thought unconvincingly. They'd disguise themselves, stock up on supplies, rest, and be out by dawn. Easy.

She sighed, then dropped the pretense. Easy, hah, anything but. It was stupid, foolhardy, and potentially suicidal. But what choice did she have?

XXXXXXXXXXXXYX

Morzan jerked awake with a grunt as he was dumped unceremoniously onto the hard ground. He jumped to his feet—or tried to, anyway. A lurching headache and a nauseous hangover turned the jump into a stumble, and he ended up slamming face-first into the ground.

_Oh, that's wonderful_, he heard Aderes say acidly into his mind. _Not only are you a drunk, you're an uncoordinated, graceless drunk._

Morzan staggered and levered himself painfully to his knees, tasting blood in his mouth where he had bitten his tongue. Wonderful. Just what he needed…

_What you need is a good swift kick in the pants_, Aderes said, his voice sharp. _You—_

_Shut up, Aderes_, Morzan grunted. _I don't need to hear this right now._

_You never do. _The dragon's reply was laden with disapproval, but Aderes gave Morzan no opportunity to reply as he opened his great wings and set flight, presumably to hunt. The link in their minds slammed shut, leaving nothing but a faint disgust behind.

Morzan growled to himself, rubbing his head with his hands. Aderes had been so, so judgmental and negative lately. Ever since…

It was his fault—Galbatorix had trusted him, and he had failed in the worst possible way. Morzan slumped to the ground, lying flat in the muddy ground. Absently, he rubbed his shoulder, where the mark of the Thirteen was engraved into him by magic—and later, burned out by fire after he failed...

XXXXXXXXXXYXX

For years, Galbatorix had sought new Riders for his three dragon eggs, but to no avail. All the men and women he brought to test—and later killed when they failed—never managed to spark any sort of life in the eggs. The ruby, sapphire, and emerald eggs remained as stolidly unanimated as ever, as the dragons within failed to meet the right Rider. Galbatorix became possessed by a certain sense of urgency as time wore on with no encouraging sign, and as his original Thirteen died one by one.

With the death of Ravyn and her dragon, Casmire, Morzan was the only one left. From Thirteen, to one, in the space of a hundred years. Galbatorix was furious, enraged, and worried at the same time—the dragons and their Riders held the balance of power, of strength, within the empire…and now there were only two left.

But there could be five. And if the sapphire one, the only female dragon left, mated, there could be more. There could be new legions of dragon Riders to guard the empire's safety from rebels, to ensure its stability.

XYXXXXXXXXXXX

_You were stupid_. Aderes's voice broke into Morzan's tired thoughts. You _had a moment of weakness, and you have more than paid the price. There's no need to harp on it further._

Morzan didn't say anything. He exhaled slowly, pulling himself up from the muddy ground. He studied the ground for a minute, then silently began to gather the fuel for a fire.

_Morzan_. Aderes's voice made him look up, the dragon's steady gaze connecting with his as the red dragon landed lightly on the ground, bearing a bloody deer in his jaws. Setting the deer on the ground, Aderes added, _The mistake is as much mine as yours. I was there, I didn't sense anything._

"You told me to stop, Aderes," Morzan said out loud, hearing and despising the tinge of pain in his voice. "You were warning me, but I didn't listen…"

_But I didn't know that she took it. I didn't stop her from leaving the next day, either_.

Morzan shook his head. _I don't want to talk about it. _

_You've been avoiding this issue for months now,_ Aderes said, his voice sharp. _But you punish yourself for it all the time, as if Galbatorix's fury wasn't enough to go on. Is that why you've been drinking? Avoiding Selena—_

_Shut up!_ Morzan hissed—

_--Do you think that somehow, that'll make up for what you did, if you don't see her, don't talk to her? _Aderes continued relentlessly. _It happened, nothing can change that. But you keep on lingering on it, your mind set back on it whenever you think of _her_—_

"Shut up!" Morzan yelled, jumping to his feet, glaring at Aderes.

Aderes regarded him silently. Morzan glared back, his hand involuntarily clutching at his chest as if afraid his heart would shatter. His other hand clutched at a bundle of twigs, his fingers curling into a fist around them. The red glow of magic tinged his fingertips.

_Are you going to blast me, Morzan?_ Aderes said, his voice quiet. _Kill me for telling you the truth?_

Morzan jerked his head down, struggling to contain the turmoil of emotion with him. He took a shaky breath—one, then another, as he stared at his red-glowing hand. Horrified, he let the twigs spill to the ground, forcing the red tinge to fade from his fingers.

"Aderes—"

He stopped there, unable to find anything to say.

XYXXXXXXXXXX

It was an honor. The greatest of honors. Galbatorix had entrusted the sapphire egg, the _most important _egg, to him. Morzan's work took him all over the empire, Galbatorix reasoned, and how better to find a new Rider than through his most trusted Rider's travels?

Morzan had taken on the assignment with a hugely inflated ego, proud and glad that Galbatorix, his notoriously close-mouthed friend and liege, had given him such an important assignment. And he would succeed, he vowed. He, Morzan, would find a Rider if he died trying, and turn whoever he or she was to the empire's service…

Galbatorix had cautioned him to guard the egg carefully—to make sure that all prospective Riders were closely guarded and searched, and if they failed the test, to dispose of them properly. Morzan had listened, but was so confident that security wouldn't be a problem—after all, he was the last of the Thirteen, and Galbatorix's right-hand man in the empire!

So he took the egg, and he searched—not urgently, as the eggs hadn't hatched for a hundred years, a couple more wouldn't make a huge difference—but diligently. In every town he passed, he'd drop in, spy out potential candidates, and then test them. When they failed, as they inevitably did, he'd kill them. As such, he tried to avoid bringing candidates to the egg unless he was fairly certain the egg would hatch for them…

XYXXXXXXXXXXX

_Yazuac_, Aderes said quietly.

Morzan huddled by the newly built fire, his knees curled up to his chest for warmth. "Yes," he said after a long moment passed. He closed his eyes and rested his head on his knees with a sigh. "Jasmine…"

_Makes you hate that smell, doesn't it?_ Aderes said softly.

Morzan's lips twitched in a humorless laugh. "I'll never treat that scent the same way again," he said. "But at the time, it was—she—"

_I didn't know either,_ Aderes reminded him, his usually acidic voice gentle for once. _It's not all your fault, Morzan._

Morzan just sighed, the sound dull and tired. "I don't know about that," he muttered.

XYXXXXXXXXXX

The scent of jasmine. Bright, golden hair. The soft laugh that burned through his nerves, setting him on fire.

"Welcome, stranger," she said as he sat himself down on the tavern stool. "What brings you to fair Yazuac? We don't see new faces much in these parts."

Morzan glanced at her, then away, irritated. He'd been tracking a set of strange thieves, their thefts and attacks so audacious—the last had been a train of rich merchant caravans, they had stolen the chief prize, a golden monkey statue, from right under the merchant's nose—as to have attracted the attention of the capital. Morzan had been sent to clean the matter up, but so far had little success. He'd caught a clue, though, a whisper, and had followed them to Yazuac.

"Business," he said finally, keeping his voice low and smooth. The tavern owner slammed a mug of ale before him; Morzan tooked it and sipped silently, wincing at the bitter taste. He'd never liked ale that much.

She leaned closer, and he caught a whiff of fresh jasmine scent—a fresh contrast to the murky, smoky tavern air. "What kind of business?"

Morzan glanced at her, irritated. "The kind of business that you should keep your nose out of if you know what's good for you, girl."

She stood up, all flow and graceful movement. Her long, golden hair fell right to her waist, and the locks brushed his arm as she leaned closer. "I think I could like that kind of business. My lord."

Morzan closed his eyes briefly, half-amused despite himself. Opening them, he glanced into her startling emerald eyes with a wry smile. She was beautiful, and he'd seen quite a few beauties in his long life to know that she was something special, indeed. "I'm married, my lady. I have no interest in what you have to offer."

"That's unfortunate," she said, taking a seat next to him. Her fingers, long and unusually nimble, began to work their way down his back. "Because I think I might be of great help to you in finding what you seek."

"And what's that?" Morzan murmured, his body relaxing despite himself. Her voice was gentle, hypnotic, holding enough promise to set any man's nerves on fire, and Morzan was no saint. And what could the harm be? She was just a prostitute looking her next meal—albeit a very beautiful, spellbinding prostitute.

_Selena_, a voice reminded in his head. _You are married to Selena! Your wife, remember? And your child, Murtagh?_

Morzan shook himself, and then rose out of his seat. Or tried to, anyway. The woman's hand, slender and unusually strong, pushed him back into the chair.

_Morzan? _Aderes's voice sounded distant. _What's going on?_

_A woman…_Morzan's voice sounded vague and thready, even to his own mental ears.

There was a pause. _You're married, remember?_

He knew that. Logically, rationally, he knew that. He was married, to a woman that he loved dearly, to a woman who had borne him a son. She had been faithful to him; he would be faithful in return, he would love her back, he would…

_Morzan,_ Aderes's voice came again, even more distant this time. _Gods, you're making a fool out of yourself. Who is this hussy, anyway? This is a bad idea. You're married, remember? Selena? She—_

_Hush, Aderes,_ Morzan heard himself say. He closed the link, gently but firmly.

And the world dissolved into the scent of jasmine…

XXYXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Did you…_Aderes trailed off, leaving the question unstated.

Morzan rubbed his face, sighing. _I think so_, he admitted. _It's a bit of a blur after that, but yes. _

_Do you think she took it afterwards, or had somebody else take it?_

_I don't know_, Morzan sighed. _All I know is that when I woke up, the room was empty. She was gone. And—_he hesitated. _And my rucksack was gone, and so was the dragon egg._

_And the emperor was not happy_. Aderes's voice was calm, matter-of-fact, but Morzan knew him well enough to read the dragon's pain, hidden under a cool layer of forced nonchalance.

_No,_ Morzan whispered. _He wasn't_.

XYXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Galbatorix had an impressive temper, Morzan knew. He'd seen the results of it once or twice, but had never been the subject of it. When he lost the dragon egg, though…

It had hurt, but nothing had hurt so bad as the disgrace. The _shame_. He had failed—he'd given in to his own selfish wants, broken faith with his wife, and most importantly, lost the only female dragon egg in existence.

And for the last, Galbatorix punished him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXYXXX

Morzan hesitated, then rolled up the sleeve of his tunic to gaze bleakly at the mess of his shoulder. The mark of the Thirteen—originally a silvery, thirteen-pointed star, laid there by an ancient magic and pact, had been burned out by irons. It was the one of many such marks on his body.

If he hadn't been the only Rider left, Galbatorix would've ordered him killed. As it was, the emperor no longer wanted his pledge. No longer trusted him.

And Selena…

He sighed and sat up, unable to face Aderes's piercing stare any longer. He'd let himself be seduced, let himself give in to some hussy. In effect, he'd betrayed her.

_You should tell her_, Aderes said softly. _She deserves to know_.

Morzan laughed harshly, letting his sleeve fall back into place. _Of course. Every woman likes to hear that her husband has been out canoodling with other women when her back's turned. But, no worries, she's gone anyway. So at any rate, she still hates me._

_Only because you've started drinking,_ Aderes said. _You become someone else when you're drunk. When you threw that sword…_

_Oh, don't start_, Morzan said tiredly.

There was silence for a moment, then Aderes said, _Try again._

_Try what again? _Morzan said without any real interest, poking the fire with a stick.

_Try quitting drinking again. _

Morzan inhaled sharply, then let out a humorless, cynical laugh. _Oh, and the first two attempts were such a success, were they? Aderes, we've been over this before. No._

Aderes eyed him critically. _Third time's the charm—_

_No_, Morzan said, his voice flat. _I'm a useless, disgraced Rider who's betrayed his wife. But that doesn't mean I need to remember it._

XXXXXXXXXXYXXXXZX

**Well. **

**Morzan-centric, obviously. I have always had trouble writing purely 'evil' characters; most people are just really conflicted and need either a shrink or a kick in the pants. In the Roses/Ice trilogies, Morzan's conflict was because of Aderes's death, but as Aderes is obviously alive here, I had to come up with something else to explain his current messed-up state. Hope it didn't offend anybody too badly.**

**Please continue to read and review with opinions! This is a hefty chapter, so reviews are definitely wanted. Next chapter will pick up on Selena and Murtagh's adventures in Uru'baen, as well as Roran and Garrow in Carvahall. (I think. XD I have a tendency to veer off plotwise).**

**Review Responses!**

**Mrs.Morzansson**: I know! I luff little Murtagh; it's fun to write him before he comes, you know, all bitter and cynical and evil Red Rider-y. XD I mean, he was a kid at one time. And I bet he was a really cute little kid, too.

**Noir**: I've been thinking vaguely about a Brom/Selena connection. I'm not sure when they'll meet (Brom might not be in Carvahall yet, timewise), and um, Brom is a little, er, _old_ for Selena. But then again, so is Morzan…–shrugs- But I'll figure it out.

**Canadian-Girl14**: Thankyou! I have nofreakingidea how this is going to turn out, so hope you like all the turns this fic is going to go through.

**Mistress-of-Misery**: I picked up the hazel eyes thing from other fics, and I assumed they picked it up in turn from _other_ fics. :P It never actually said so in the book? OO Well, I'm not about to go digging through the whole of _Eragon_ looking for Murtagh's eye color. XD But hazel's a nice color, and brown-haired-people generally have hazel eyes, don't they?

…: Yeah, she does. When and by which guy (Brom or Morzan) is another question entirely. But Morzan won't necessarily, you know, get really drunk and kill Selena. Anything is possible, since I don't actually have a plot.

**24 Demon Ice Mirrors**: Lol, Murtagh could use a little puppy. Not a schnauzer, I hate schnauzers (unfair prejudice from real life, I know) but like a little mongrel pup! –dances- And as to whether Selena is pregnant with Murtagh, again, I don't know. –sighs- I wish I had a plot, it would make things a whole lot simpler. –grumbles under breath-

**Flyingxdragonx123**: Lol, really? XD I bet Morzan has an opposite opinion. –hides from sharp pointy sword-

**Read and review! –dances-**


	5. Darkness and Surprise

It was a dark night. Not stormy, unfortunately, but you can't win them all. To Selena, though, being dark was already ominous enough. After all, she was in Uru'baen. Just stepping foot into the city might potentially kill her.

She could feel Murtagh huddled by her side, pressing into her cloak as they walked silently through the dark streets. She had managed to find enough provisions to last a week's journey, maybe more if they ate sparingly. The tavern, though, had looked a bit too shady to stay the night—maybe something to do with the man whose throat had been cut while she was buying food.

_But sleeping on the streets in suicide_, Selena pondered gloomily. _Even worse than the tavern._

She looked around her desperately. She was in the disreputable part of town, where folk died every night and no one even blinked. Even now, someone might be watching her, waiting for just the right moment to pounce—rape, theft, murder, anything was possible here.

"Mommy," Murtagh whispered softly, tugging her cloak. "I'm scared."

Selena inhaled, trying to smile reassuringly even when she knew that Murtagh wouldn't be able to see her in the gloom. "I know, my love," she said, struggling to keep her voice calm and serene. "We'll find someplace to stay soon."

A quick glance around her revealed that a nice, warm inn had in fact not materialized in the past ten seconds. "Well, sometime tonight," she amended. "Maybe not soon. But it'll be fine, my love. Come on, let's walk now."

Murtagh said nothing; he just clung to her cloak and walked obediently forward, huddling close to her. Selena tried to damp down the growing panic; if she lost it, Murtagh would too, and then anyone watching would have the perfect opportunity to strike. She had stay calm. Calm. And know that she would find someplace soon.

Selena inhaled deeply, shaking her head._ Idiot,_ she berated herself. She had magic. Well, some. But at any rate, she wasn't a sitting duck, a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued by the white knight. She'd figure this out on this own. Somehow.

Settling herself, Selena reached out with her limited magical powers, touching the surrounding minds with a clumsy touch. She wasn't very good at it—thoughts were beyond her; the best she could get was a general feeling, the atmosphere of the place. But it was enough—

Black, snarled thoughts twisted through her mind, causing her to stumble. This was the worst of Uru'baen, the darkest streets where only the scum of the city roamed. Greed, avarice, murder, hate—they poured through her mind, shaking her, blinding her, causing bile to rise in her throat. Only wilting touches of kindness, scattered like faint stars in the midnight sky, let her regain her footing long enough to wrench her mind away, free herself from the pits of the city.

"_Mommy!"_

Selena looked up shakily, tasting blood on her tongue. Somehow she was on the ground, sprawled on the filthy cobblestones with her bag spilled carelessly by her side. Murtagh was in front of her, shaking her by the shoulder, frantic. "Mommy," he said breathlessly, seeing her look up. "Mommy, what happened? Are you okay?"

Selena tried to smile, but her muscles felt all weak and floppy. Reaching out with a limp hand, she touched Murtagh's hair gently. "It's okay," she said after a moment, struggling to sit up. "My love, I'm fine, it's all—oof!"

Her body betrayed her words as she slipped and went right back onto the ground. Gritting her teeth, she grimly tried again, hanging gingerly onto the slimy, disgusting walls for support. "You'd think that he'd've warned me about that," she muttered under her breath, feeling grumpy and uncharitable towards her absent husband and magic-teacher. "Instead of prattling on about elves and the grey folk…"

This time, she managed to get onto her feet, with only a little swaying. Murtagh stared up at her anxiously; she smiled weakly at him. "It's okay," she said softly. "You're safe, Murtagh."

He didn't say anything, just stood there staring at her worriedly. Selena sighed, giving him a clumsy hug. "It'll be fine, Murtagh—"

She froze, every sense—magical and nonmagical—spread out, listening, watching, feeling. Someone was out there...

She drew Murtagh deeper into her cloak, pressing his small form against her body. "Let's keep on walking," she said, careful to keep her voice light and casual. "Come on, Murtagh."

He didn't move, and Selena groaned inwardly—obviously, Murtagh wasn't fooled by her pretense. Either that or he was too terrified to take another step.

She took another look around them, trying to identify the mysterious presence again. She'd felt it, just for a flash, but it definitely had intent towards them. Maybe she was mistaken? Being too paranoid did have its downside; maybe she just, just _imagined_ it…

"AGHHHHHHHH!"

Something hit her solidly in the chest, throwing her back against the wall. Beside her, Murtagh cried out as he stumbled, sprawling on the dirty ground. Selena thrashed blindly, scrambled words of magic flying through her mind—_vondr, yawe, seithr, dras, _oh why couldn't she remember something _useful_—"Thrysta!" she shrieked.

There was a yowl as whatever was holding her down was flung away, spiraling off into the darkness. Selena bolted upright, grabbing Murtagh and holding him close. He didn't seem to be hurt, but she'd do a thorough check later; anyone who put hands on her son was going to be _sorry_—

From the darkness emerged a small, low-built shape that hung close to the ground. Selena stared as the person—creature—thing—whatever—emerged, the dim light outlining its features for her to see.

"A cat?" she said out loud, feeling her own increduality on her face.

_Now, that will not do_. A magical voice touched her mind, and Selena jumped, looking around wildly. That didn't sound like Morzan or Aderes or anyone she knew, but how could it be _possible _that a _cat_—

_Meow_. That was definitely from the cat, whose large red eyes were glinting with humor—at least, she hoped it was humor and not hunger. _I am constantly amazed that you humans manage to survive from day to day with all the stupid things that you do, but you don't see me insulting you, do you, hrrrm? _The cat, a large shaggy creature with black tufts on its ears, sauntered up to her, inspecting her critically.

"I—" Selena stuttered. "Ah. I'm sorry, sir—lady—uh—cat."

The cat yawned, showing an impressive set of fangs. _I am not gentry, and I'd thank you not to insult me as such. _

"Mommy?" That came from Murtagh, who seemed more curious than scared now. He pulled at her tunic, calling her attention to him. "Is that cat talking to us?"

"Um, yes, it is, my love," Selena said uncertainly after a moment. "Well, I'm glad it's not just me, at any rate…do all cats talk and I have just never heard them?"

The cat eyed her for a moment, apparently wondering if she was being sarcastic. Finally, it said, _No, they don't._

With that, it turned its inspection onto Murtagh, who stared back at it without regard for the huge yellow fangs. "Hi," Murtagh said, kneeling down and extending a hand. To a child, a talking animal was perfectly normal, after all. "What's your name?"

The cat sniffed Murtagh's hand delicately, and then said, _I have many names, but you may call me—_it paused, then said, _Solembum. For now. What's your name?_

"My name's—" Murtagh silenced as Selena clapped a hand over his mouth. "Mommy!" he protested, his words muffled.

"Who are you?" Selena demanded, her shock wearing off and replaced by wariness. "What do you want?"

The cat inspected her for a moment longer, and then said, _You shouldn't be wandering these streets at night. Selena._

Selena froze, feeling her blood turn to ice. It knew her name. Cat or not, _it knew who she was_…

_Oh, don't panic_, the cat said, sounding cross. _I don't talk to Galbatorix and his like. No, but you certainly shouldn't be out here at any time, let alone the middle of the night._ It paused. _I can show you someplace safe, Selena_.

Reason warred with suspicion in her head. This cat knew her _name_, probably knew that she was on the run…on the other hand, a cat? A talking cat? She would've known if Galbatorix had something so unusual in his employ as a bounty hunter—or at least, heard vaguely of rumors or something. But still…

"Mommy," Murtagh whispered. "Can we keep Solembum?"

The cat snorted at this statement but didn't say anything. Selena took a deep breath, feeling as if she were stepping off a very steep cliff, with no end in sight. "Okay," she said, her voice trembling. "Lead on, cat—Solembum."

It gave a very soft, cat-like _miaaaow_ and then turned, sauntering into the darkness. Selena followed, pulling Murtagh with her.

XXXXXXXXXXYXXXX

By night, Roran was coughing blood.

"I'm sorry," Gertrude said softly. Marian's face was torn with agony as she hovered over her dying son, knowing that there was nothing she could do. Once a child started coughing blood, it was pretty much over—nothing short of a miracle could save them.

"How long?" Garrow asked numbly, not really needing—or wanting—to know the answer.

"I'd say—" Gertrude hesitated. "A day. Or two, if he's lucky."

Garrow nodded, dazed and distant. Gertrude, seeing the look on their faces, quietly packed up her bag and left. They would need time—time to accept the truth, time to bury their son, and then time to mourn the death of their second child.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Well, frickin yee-ha. I've been looking forward to Selena meeting Angela for quite a while. It'll be fun. Any suggestions for a suitably depressing fortune?**

**Review responses!**

**24 Demon Ice Mirrors**: Lol, yeah, by pinning Morzan to the ground and sticking him there till he gets sober. XD And you'd sic the plot bunnies on me? –hides- Ah that's just mean! –cowers under desk-

**Mrs.Morzansson**: Like, Alcoholics Anonymous? Do they have AA's in Alagaesia? Hrrm, that's an idea. :P

**Canadian-Girl14**: Thankyouverymuch! –huggles- I hug people randomly, so um yeah. XD

**Flyingxdragonx123**: Hrrm, you think I should start up a calendar? It's more or less in chronological order, with day and night in sequence, but…yeah, a calendar would probably help keep heads straight. I'll see what I can do. And Murtagh and Selena are right here! –pokes above-

**Xx**: Thanks!


	6. Fortunes and Will

A _cat_. She was following a cat, not just any cat, oh no, but a _talking_ cat to boot. Selena gritted her teeth, second thoughts creeping through her head. Maybe she should go, because honestly, a talking cat? Maybe she'd lost it already; maybe she was going insane…

Beside her, Murtagh stumbled, drooping with weariness. Selena glanced at him—his eyes were half closed, and he was swaying where he stood. "Mommy," he muttered as Selena grabbed his elbow, keeping him from toppling over. "I'm tired…"

"I know you are, love," Selena said softly. She gave a hasty look around—the cat was waiting patiently, its red eyes gleaming in the darkness as it watched her next move. "I—oh, to _hell _with it—"

Bracing herself, she hefted Murtagh's small bulk into her arms. He was small, but still heavy enough to make her stagger slightly. Shifting his weight onto her shoulder, she looked up and nodded to the cat. "Lead on, Solembum."

Solembum gave a very catlike _mew_, so catlike that Selena was half-wondering if she had imagined his speech in the first place. She staggered after the cat, muttering about wild goose chases and other silly animal metaphors.

Selena was just about ready to drop when the cat finally stopped in front of a decrepit wooden door. She eyed it apprehensively, unsure of whether or not she should run for it, even after everything, when the door swung open with a very clichéd but effectively ominous _creaaaaaaakkkkk…_

For a moment, her heart froze in her chest as she stared at the rectangle of dim yellow light. Solembum trotted halfway inside, then paused to look at her. _Coming? _he asked, his voice cool and languid.

She might have bolted. Might have decided to just drop everything except Murtagh and flee, talking cats and sleepy son otherwise. But as she pondered indecisively, a curly-haired woman popped into the opening. Catching sight of her, the woman smiled—a friendly, genial smile, not a leer or a sadistic grin.

"Selena, is it? And that must be Murtagh. I'm Angela, nice to meet you. Well, don't just stand there—come on in!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Angela was so friendly, so cheerful that Selena found herself warming up to her instantly. The room was small but surprisingly clean for an Uru'baen slum, albeit a bit cluttered. Most of it was good clutter, though, nothing macabre like whips or chains hanging around.

"I must admit, I am surprised to see you, Selena," Angela said cheerfully, handing Selena a cup of tea. "Oh! And this strapping young man must be Murtagh, isn't it?"

Murtagh blinked sleepily up at her. Selena smiled uncomfortably. "Yes." Despite herself, she shifted closer to Murtagh, the better to protect him if need be.

Angela smiled understandingly at her. "Of course." Beside her, Solembum leapt onto a small table, purring softly. "I was surprised when Solembum found you, of course," she added reflectively. "He finds many people, but none so special as you."

Selena froze, the teacup halfway to her mouth. "Why…I could be any woman," she said warily. "Selena's a very common name, you know." Friendliness aside, in her mind she began to line up the magic she needed for a fast escape—words of power, binding, and attack…

"Of course," Angela answered seriously, "but few are Morzan's wife. Oh, yes, I know about you, and I know about him. At a risk of sounding like a batty know-it-all, there's little I don't know. More tea?"

Selena put her teacup down with a _crash_ and wiped her mouth quickly, discreetly spitting out what little tea she had drunk. It might be drugged, or poisoned, or any number of things. "Who are you?" she said. With one hand, she pulled a dozing Murtagh closer to her. "Why does your cat talk? How do you know me, how do you know who I am? And—" she floundered, then finished, "and what do you _want?_"

Angela eyed her intently for a moment. "That's a lot of questions," she said after a moment. "But I suppose I do owe you an answer, of sorts, just like I owed your husband." She smiled lightly at Selena's poleaxed expression, then continued. "Solembum is a werecat. A creature of legend, I think, although most creatures of legend eat less and aren't quite so rude."

Solembum hissed softly. _I behave as befitting my character_, he said, sounding disdainful.

Angela waved an airy hand at him. Turning back to Selena, she said, "And as to how I know you—let's just say, a long time ago, your husband and I were acquaintances. When I was much younger and quite a bit sillier, I got lost and wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time. He happened to be there and whisked me out of there to safety, although he could've been a bit gentler about it." Angela paused, looking thoughtful. "At any rate, I owed him a debt, which he called in years later, for _you_, Selena."

Selena blinked. "You knew Morzan?"

"Of course," Angela nodded, pouring herself some more tea. "I like to be where the action is, and Morzan's always been wonderful for that. Oh, not in _that_ way," she added as Selena's expression grew slightly indignant. "We never bedded each other, thank the nonexistent gods, so you can clear your mind of that nonsense. But he makes things happen, your husband. And I watch as events unfold."

Several things chased themselves through Selena's mind, fighting for space. Finally, she blurted out, "How did you know…how did you know where to find me?"

"It wasn't that hard," Angela said, sounding cheerful. "I asked Solembum, and did some trickery of my own, and poof, here you are." She nodded at Murtagh. "Running away, are we?"

Selena swallowed hard. "I…"

"Not to worry," Angela said kindly. She glanced at Murtagh, whose eyes were now wide open and glancing about curiously. "Hello," she said to Murtagh.

"Hi," Murtagh said shyly after a moment. His eyes turned to Solembum. "Is that your cat?"

_No, Angela is my human_, Solembum said snidely. _And you'd do well to remember it._

"Sorry," Murtagh whispered.

"Oh, let's not be rude," Angela said, glaring at Solembum. "Poor child, you look rather thin. Tea will do you wonders."

Murtagh grasped the huge teacup carefully by the handle, taking a tentative sip. Selena watched him, feeling tense and relaxed all at once. She liked Angela; her instincts said that the woman could be trusted. But she had been wrong before...what if the woman was just a very, very good spy?

Murtagh looked up from the teacup, beaming. "It's good!" he said to Angela, who grinned back in return. "Thank you," he added belatedly, taking another sip and swinging his feet.

Selena let out her breath slowly before turning back to Angela. Grasping her own teacup, she took a slow sip out of it—it was delicious. Hot, smoky, flavored strongly with mint and rosemary—it woke her up, throwing off the haze of weariness. "All right then. So you're not going to betray us?"

"I won't betray you," Angela said, and this might have been perfectly ordinary had Angela not said this in the ancient language. Selena looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing.

"Who...who are you?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm a witch," Angela answered seriously. "A witch of some power to some degree."

"And you live here, in Uru'baen?" Selena said slowly.

"For now, yes. I spend my days here and there; I watch and I wait, and in the meantime, I do silly fortunes for the silly gentry who want to know their silly, shallow futures." She grinned and pointed to a dusty crystal ball in the corner. "The fortunes are rarely true, yet they keep coming like geese at a parade."

"Geese at a parade?" Selena asked, amused despite herself.

"Honking like anything, Selena." Angela's brow creased slightly, and she set her teacup down on the table. "Wait a minute…"

She got up from her chair and began rummaging behind her. Selena took advantage of the interlude in the conversation to look around, examining her surroundings with a closer eye. Beside her, Murtagh was wriggling in his seat, clearly energized by whatever was in the tea. "Hi, Solembum," he said to the werecat. "I didn't get to say my name before, but I'm Murtagh." He stuck out his hand cordially. "It's nice to meet you."

To Selena's amusement and surprise, Solembum reached out a paw of his own and put it into Murtagh's palm, and the boy shook it. _I said my name before, but I'll repeat it,_ the cat said, his red eyes glinting with humor. _I am Solembum. Likewise, it is a pleasure, human_.

Whatever Murtagh was about to say was curtailed as Angela straightened up and hurried back to her chair, carrying a small, dusty bag. Selena watched curiously as Angela undied the ties of the bag and shook the contents down onto the table—bones. Bones that were carved with strange, intricate symbols—beautiful, small, and infinitely mysterious. Selena touched one; they were dry and cool to the touch.

"What are these?" she asked, her voice hushed.

"Knucklebones of a dragon," Angela answered. Her fingers quick and nimble, she lay out the bones on the table, so that Selena could see the symbols carved onto them—aspen, elm, mistletoe, lightning, a wandering path, a rose…

"Where did you get them?" she said, her voice strangely distant to her own ears.

Angela shook her head vigorously, her curls bouncing. "That's a secret I'll not tell. But—" she hesitated, then said, "These, Selena, contain true power, unlike that fool crystal ball over there. These bones can tell your future—not clearly, not precisely, but truly. If you wish, I will cast and read your fortune for you."

"Why?" Selena asked. Murtagh glanced up at her, his expression knitting in confusion.

"Because you intrigue me," Angela said. "And Solembum spoke to you. And because I think—" Angela stopped, apparently chewing her words carefully before she spoke. "Knowing your future is a terrible burden, especially if it unpleasant or tragic. But it can also be a guide, a warning to those who do not know where to go."

She paused, the candlelight reflecting off her eyes. "Do you want me to cast the bones for you, Selena?"

Selena swallowed hard, staring down at the knucklebones. To know her future…it sounded like any person's dream come true. But people only wanted to know the good things, not the bad…

"Read them," she said, her voice firm when on the inside, she wasn't sure at all. "Please," she added as an afterthought.

Angela nodded, and gathered the bones.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Manin! Wyrda! Hugin!"_

Selena gasped softly, feeling the power running through the room like a lightning bolt. Beside her, she could feel Murtagh jump slightly—he felt the power too, even if he didn't recognize it. Selena put a comforting hand on his arm as she watched Angela, who was staring intently at the fallen bones.

Time slipped by slowly as Selena waited with bated breath—fear, anticipation, giddiness…

_Maybe it's the tea_, she thought, and took another sip to calm her nerves. Angela was frowning slightly. Her fate probably wasn't good; maybe she shouldn't hear it. Or perhaps it was just very complicated?

"Well."

Selena glanced anxiously at Angela; the witch's face was grim as she looked up. "Yes?" Selena asked, clutching her teacup tightly. Murtagh leaned forward as well—not understanding the ritual, but knowing that something grave was happening.

"Your fate," Angela said slowly. She paused, then said. "Are you really sure that you want to hear this, Selena?"

A cold shiver ran up her spine at the ominous tone of Angela's voice. But she'd already gone this far; somehow, she'd crossed the point of no return. "Yes," Selena swallowed.

"Very well." Angela inhaled deeply, then said, "Love, Selena."

"Love?" Selena repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

"Your greatest strength. Your greatest weakness. And ultimately, your downfall." Angela pointed at the intersection of two bones—the rose and the lightning bolt. "Love has made you strong, made you who you are. But it will be your death."

Selena felt herself grow pale as her thoughts instantly jumped to Morzan. She'd loved him, despite everything he'd done to her and Murtagh. And he would kill her?

"How?" she asked.

Angela shook her head. "The bones don't answer questions, Selena. They only sketch outlines, and sometimes raise even more questions than they're worth. Now—" Angela's finger hovered, then settled at the winding path and the twin oaks. "Sometime in the future—don't ask me when or how soon—you will be asked to make a choice. A choice between two…well, I don't know. Two things, two people…two lovers, maybe? But whichever one you choose, the other one will be lost to you. Forever."

"Oh," Selena said faintly, but Angela ignored her.

The witch pondered the bones for a moment longer, then said slowly, "And this one. Water." She picked up a bone that portrayed an uneven, lumpy circle. "This is a pool of water— I know it doesn't look like one, but that's what it is—and it means illusion. Watch out for trickery and lies, and keep an eye out for deception. Things are not always what they seem to be...and the obvious choice may be the wrong one, in the end."

"But that's a riddle," Selena protested. "I thought the bones were supposed to tell my future?"

"They do," Angela answered gravely, "but like I said—often, they raise more questions than they're worth."

Angela cleared her throat and leaned back from the table; Selena remained crouched over, staring at the bones. "And this one?" she asked, pointing to a smooth bone that had a plant of some kind etched on it. She didn't know it well enough—some kind of berry, maybe?

Angela hesitated, then said slowly, "That's mistletoe."

Selena paused. "Do I want to know what that means?" she said at last. Nothing in her future had been very pleasant so far; how much more could she take of her prophecied doom?

"Probably not," Angela said softly.

Murtagh took the bone from Selena, turning it over and over in his small hands. He looked up at her, and Selena swallowed as she hugged him about his bony shoulders. "All right," she said after a moment. "Tell me."

Angela swallowed. "It means your death, Selena," she said very softly. "A circle with a horizontal line through it, for the sun, means infinity or long life. Aspen or elm—a normal span of years. But mistletoe—" She broke off.

"So…I'm going to die soon?" Selena said.

She felt distant; there was an odd roaring in her ears. Strangely enough, she actually felt a bit giddy now—dizzy with the revelations she'd just been dosed with, the, the _strangeness_ of it all. "So…do I get time to compose a decent epitaph? Or shall I just drop dead now?" she said, feeling lightheaded.

"You shouldn't take the bones too seriously, Selena," Angela said quietly. "They are a guideline, nothing more."

"But you said they come true," Selena pointed out. "You said that they'd be real. So I _will_ die, and very soon in the near future. And so maybe I should just stab myself now, or something, to save the future the trouble. But then none of that other stuff, about the winding path and the love and the, the puddle of water will come true either, so your bones are just—they don't—" She broke out into a hysterical laugh. "You—"

She started laughing uncontrollably, hugging her arms about herself. Murtagh put his arms around her, and she pressed close to him, glad of the comfort in a precarious world.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Morzan woke up, his heart churning uncomfortably in his chest. He sat up, thoughts tumbling through his head—things that had been half-formed when he fell asleep, and were ready to declare themselves now. "Aderes?" he whispered.

Beside him, the red dragon grumbled and jerked in his sleep. Morzan sighed and repeated his call mentally. _Aderes?_

_What?_ the red dragon snapped, coming to a grumpy wakefulness. _I was _sleeping_. Stupid inconsiderate human—_

_I want to try_.

_Try what? Getting burned to a crisp? Because I can try that for you, right now if you don't shut up—_

_I want to try to quit._

Aderes stopped grumbling midsentence, his eyes swiveling to watch his Rider intently. Morzan stared back at him stoically, his eyes steady and clear. _You what?_ Aderes said slowly, as in disbelief.

Morzan knelt down, digging in his pack and withdrawing a flagon of ale. Slowly, finally, he popped the cork and poured the contents out into the dirt. _You heard me_, he said softly. _I want to stop. I want—_he hesitated. _I've done Selena great wrongs over the years, punishing her for my mistake. But it's time—I'm going to try, Aderes, try again. And I'll..._

_I'll help you,_ Aderes said softly, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. Regaining his usual acidic tone, the dragon added, _Even if I have to sit on you to keep you from drinking_.

Morzan smiled—a faint smile, but a smile nonetheless. _That's a given, isn't it?_

_Always,_ Aderes said, enfolding his Rider in a scaly wing. _And you know it._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Yeah, lousy ending. X.x Sorry, I'm kinda rushed because I want to post this before I got to bed, so um yeah. XD It's kinda late at night where I am…**

**I need a vote from you guys, because honestly, I can't decide. In this universe, who should Eragon's father be? (Yes, he will be born!) Brom, Morzan, or random OC? Please review with opinions! **

**(Oh, and if nobody votes, I'll flip a coin. Heads for Morzan, tails for Brom, and if it lands on its side, it'll be a random OC. XD Yep. What fun!) **

**Review responses!**

**.X.**: Cos Angela's a meddling (but awesomely cool) witch that likes to be where the action is. Although I don't see how there's much action in Uru'baen, besides, you know, Galby running and being mean and dictator-y and stuff. XD

**Mrs.Morzansson**: It would be interesting to cast Murtagh's fortune, but I don't think Selena was quite up to it, after hearing her own slightly depressing one. XD It was depressing, right? I hope it was; I tried to make it sad…

**Canadian-Girl14**: Oh hey! I read your fic, um, Forgive and Forget I think it was. I can't remember whether or not I left a review, so here goes—YOU KILLED MURTAGH?? ARRRGH? –keels over and starts bawling hysterically- Kill Eragon, pummel Arya but don't touch Murtagh!

So um yeah. XD

**Mistress-of-Misery**: I don't know if Selena's currently pregnant (or as my sister says, 'preggers!' O.o) That depends on who Eragon's daddy is. XD Personally, I think it's Brom in the books, but then again, not sure.

**Flyingxdragonx123**: -waves flag- They should totally start up an AA in Alagaesia then. I'm sure tons of people would join. Even Saphira, for getting drunk before what's-his-face's wedding. XD And Roran will…do something. I have an evil fate planned out for him. Okay, so no I don't, but I can dream, can't I? ;p


	7. Depression and Decision

Dawn.

Selena woke up with the dull sense that something very bad was happening, and was justified about three minutes later when she curled up and abruptly retched over the side of the bed. Panting, she lay on the bedspread, staring glumly up at the ceiling as memory of the disastrous night before hit her.

The door swung open, interrupting her self-induced gloom. Pushing herself up by her elbows, Selena looked up to see Angela standing in the doorway, carrying a big bowl with a wooden spoon stuck into it. The delicious smell of baking bread wafted in from the open door; Selena could see Murtagh in the main room, busy devouring a huge loaf of bread. "Morning, Selena," Angela said, smiling. Her nose wrinkled. "What's that smell?"

"I'm—I'm sorry," Selena said ruefully, sitting up. "I think, uh, I just threw up on your carpet." She winced. "I'll clean it up—"

"Don't worry about it," Angela assured her. "You did worse yesterday," she added, confirming Selena's hazy memories of her hysteria of the night before. "I'll take care of the vomit. Come on out, I'm baking some bread for you to take on your journey."

Selena got gingerly out of bed, sidestepping the puddle of vomit. Feeling oddly sore, she made her way to the main room, where Murtagh beamed at her from the huge hunk of bread he was devouring. "Morning, Mommy," he said, swinging his legs against the chair. "Guess what Solembum showed me?"

"What, my love?" Selena asked absently, settling into a chair. The large shaggy cat was settled on a pile of cushions across from her—and then he wasn't. Selena jerked back in surprise as the cat's outline shimmered slightly, morphing into a slender human boy. The boy/cat grinned at her, baring unusually sharp teeth, before turning back into a cat. She stared at him, mouth slightly open.

"The boy's name is Solembum too," Murtagh announced. "He can turn into a cat. Or a boy." He frowned. "I wish I could, too."

"Stop showing off, Solembum," Angela ordered briskly as she set the bowl on the table. It turned out to be filled with batter, which Angela continued to stir as she spoke. "You're scaring Selena, and that's not nice, is it?"

"I—" Selena sputtered, then turned to look wildly at Angela. "How did he—_do_ that?"

"He's a werecat," Angela answered simply. "Werecats do lots of things. Biscuit?"

Selena accepted the biscuit with trembling fingers, then shook her head. "They never mentioned that in the legends," she remarked at last. "Just about these wise, talking, know-it-all cats…" Solembum hissed, and she amended hastily, "I mean, omnipotent cats."

Murtagh tugged at her shirt. When she turned to look at him, he added, "And they're vain too, aren't they, Mommy?" Words notwithstanding, he reached out to pat Solembum on the head. The cat seemed to like it; he purred softly, his eyes half-closing with bliss.

Angela snorted. "Vain like you wouldn't believe. Now, Selena—what do you have in mind?" she inquired. "You know, in continuing the whole dramatic-escape vein. Did you have a destination in mind? Anyone you can flee to?"

"You mean before I die?" Selena said with just a hint of sarcasm.

Angela frowned, setting the spoon down on the table. "That won't do, Selena," she said sharply. "We'll all die; there's nothing we can do to control when or how. As they say, life is what happens while you plan other things."

"Yes, but nobody ever knows that they're going to die _soon—_in the near future _soon_—"

"You agreed to hear the bones," Angela said. "You accepted that they might not be happy. So now you know your fate—you can either mope around and be a useless lump, or you can try to live your life to the best degree that you can. Choose!"

Selena sighed, resting her head in her hands. Just one second of self-pity. One second to cry, to whine, and to indulge herself...okay. Time's up.

"Fine," she said at last, raising her head. "Fine, Angela."

"That's better," the witch said approvingly. "Now—" she picked up the spoon and started stirring again—"What did you have in mind again?"

Selena closed her eyes and tilted her head back for a moment, then said finally, "You mean my destination?"

"Yes," Angela said. "You must've had _some_ idea of where you were going. Some shelter, some friend, some relative—"

"Garrow!" Selena yelped, sitting bolt upright. "Garrow, my brother—oh, gods. He's in Carvahall and there's no way I can get to him in time before Morzan does—I've only got a horse, Topsy, and he's got Aderes—gods, I have to go!"

She jumped up, grabbing Murtagh's hand. She was looking frantically around her, searching for where she'd left her bag of supplies yesterday, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Selena shook it off as she continued to dig through the cushions and assorted knickknacks. Solembum was sitting passively on a pile of cushions; she tried to push him off and got scratched for her trouble: "Ow!"

"Do calm down, Selena," Angela said mildly.

Selena whirled onto her, ready to vent her resurrected worries and anxieties. "Calm down? Calm down?! My brother's probably being tortured into ten pieces right now because of me and—"

"You yourself said there's no way you can get there in time to save Garrow, so there's no point in acting frantic—"

"But I have to _try_, you heartless witch, he's my brother—"

"_Enough_." Angela's voice was suddenly steely, stopping Selena mid-rant. "That's not nice, calling me heartless. Because if I were heartless, I wouldn't be offering a solution, now would I?" Selena gaped, and Angela continued, "Although, I do have to say, it's physiologically impossible for me to be heartless, as doctors have known for ages, the heart pumps blood throughout the body. More recently, though, they've discovered that the _reason_ that blood can't just stay the way it is throughout the body is because the blood needs to be reoxygenated through the lungs, which is why we breathe." Angela paused and took in the poleaxed expression on Selena's face. "Never mind that; we can discuss science later. As I said—I have a solution."

Selena's brow wrinkled. Finally she said slowly, "Solution to what?"

"To your brother's problem, of course."

"My brother doesn't have a problem. _I'm _the problem."

"Mmm, maybe so. At any rate…" Angela pointed. "If you ask very nicely, I'm sure he'll oblige to solve your problems."

Selena followed the direction of her finger and gazed incredulously at Solembum, who was now, to all appearances, fast asleep. "A—"

_If you say cat I shall bite your fingers off,_ Solembum said loftily, not opening his eyes.

"Sorry," Selena said, abashed. "All right. Not a cat. But—how?"

"He's a werecat," Angela said.

"Even werecats can't beat dragons in terms of speed—can they?" Selena added, uncertainly.

"There are different kinds of speed, Selena. Different modes of transportation. The speed of light may take eons to cross the galaxy, but the speed of thought takes only an instant. That is, if Solembum obliges, that is."

A dozen things crossed Selena's face, most of which were not very flattering. Finally, she said, "What, Solembum's going to _think_ a message to Garrow? I thought about doing that, but it's too risky. Too many chances to intercept such a message, you know."

"Well, it's better than chasing a dragon, and at least this way Garrow will be warned," Angela shrugged. "Besides, he's a werecat, like I said. They have their own—shall we say, peculiar ways of doing things. That _is_, of course, if he agrees."

Selena looked doubtfully at Solembum, a small frown crossing her face. "A—I—"

Desperation and common sense warred with each other in her head. Desperation emerged victorious, but it was a pyrrhic victory, as it left her with a hollow pit in her chest. "Okay," she said at last, sitting gingerly down on the cushions next to Solembum. Next to her, Murtagh curled into her lap, one hand patting Solembum's ears. "Okay. Master Solembum, could you oblige me by—_thinking _a message to Garrow? Tell him—" she hesitated. "Tell him that Morzan—my husband—may be coming for him. And that he needs to run, and to hide somewhere until I can get to him. Can you do that, Solembum? Please?"

The cat didn't move. Selena wet her lips, and tried again, feeling sillier by the second. "Solembum—please, Garrow—he's my brother, and I—I don't want him to get hurt because of me. Please."

"Please, Solembum," Murtagh added, echoing her words. He slid off her lap and wrapped his arms around the cat, rubbing his ears. "Uncle Garrow needs to be safe." He looked up at Selena. "Right, Mommy?"

"Right," Selena whispered, her voice faint.

A moment passed. Selena was on the verge of giving up when Solembum opened his eyes and yawned, once again displaying his huge yellow fangs. _Oh, very well,_ he said. _For you_.

He purred one more time, rubbing against Murtagh's face, who laughed and said, "That tickles!" Then, stretching elegantly, the werecat jumped off the cushions, nudged the door open with one paw, and sauntered out into the streets.

"Where's he going?" Selena asked, dismayed.

"Oh, out. But he'll warn Garrow; Solembum always keeps his word."

"In time?" Selena asked faintly.

"Ye—yes," Angela said, but she didn't sound very sure. "Well, I think he will, Solembum may be catty—lovely word, _catty_, fits him perfectly—but he's honorable, in the catty way of the werecats. So you don't need to worry on that count, I think."

"Oh," Selena said weakly.

Angela took one look at her face and shoved another biscuit into her hand. "I'll pack some rations for you. But in the meantime, have another biscuit. And some tea. You look like you'll need it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aderes paced in a small circle around his Rider, who was huddled in a small ball near the dying ashes. Needless to say, Morzan did not look good.

_Morzan,_ Aderes said, softening his normally cynical tone—Morzan looked like he needed a little coddling. _How are you?_

Morzan grunted, uncurling to lay flat on his back, an expression of lined weariness on his face. _Like...like hell,_ the Rider muttered at last.

_It'll only get worse_, Aderes pointed out, deciding to drop the coddling. _You might as well get used to it now._

_Thank you so much for reminding me. I really needed to remember that._

_You're welcome, _Aderes said. He sniffed Morzan tentatively; the Rider gave off a distinctly sour odor. _You need to wash, while you're at it._

_So not only am I a cheating alcoholic, I stink, right?_

_That's about it, _Aderes agreed.

_Go away, Aderes. I just want to lie here in the mud._

_Ooooh. Not only do you smell like a pig, you act like one, too. Oink, oink. Lying in mud and wallowing? From peasant to Rider to pig. You certainly are versatile, if nothing else._

Morzan muttered something unpleasant under his breath, and Aderes smirked as Morzan, lurching unsteadily, got gamely to his feet. Taunting always worked better than fussing when it came to his Rider; Morzan's streak of stubbornness only showed when he was challenged. _I _can _do this, Aderes_, Morzan hissed through gritted teeth, climbing unsteadily onto Aderes's saddle.

_Of course. But must you smell like dung while you're at it?_

Morzan cursed in his head, and Aderes's smirk widened. _Fine, then!_ the Rider sputtered at last. _Find a river or something. Maybe the water will clear my head, too. And then...then..._

_Carvahall,_ Aderes prompted. _Selena?_

_Right,_ Morzan acknowledged wearily. _Then head straight to Carvahall._

_Your wish, my command_, Aderes said, taking flight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Garrow..._

Garrow jerked awake—or maybe not awake. Standing before him was a slender, shaggy-haired boy, who smiled at him with unnaturally long teeth. Next to him stood an equally shaggy girl, who rested her arm around the boy's shoulders. _Hello, Garrow_, they said in unison.

Everything felt surreal, dreamlike—he was in a misty plain that he'd never seen before, but in the manner of dreams, he didn't question it, focusing instead on the two before him. "Who are you?" he said in a hushed voice, not wanting to break the unnatural silence of the plains.

_Names are not important here,_ the girl said, smiling at him. _Nothing is. It's your dream, after all._

"So I'm dreaming?" Garrow said vaguely.

_Of course._

"Oh," Garrow said, nodding. It seemed perfectly natural now, whereas were he awake in this situation, he probably would've gotten a machete and started chasing these two strangers off his property. "So I'm asleep?"

_Of course_, the two purred, looking for just an instant uncannily like cats.

"My son," Garrow said, shaking his head. "Are you gods? Are you here to tell me he's dead?"

_I know not about any son_, the boy said. _I only know about Selena._

_Selena?_ Garrow thought—and oddly enough, he _heard_ the word reverbrate throughout the plain. His thoughts, his dreams, his world...

_Yes,_ the boy said. _She has fled from her husband, Morzan, and warns you to hide in case her husband seeks retribution by capturing you._

_I can't_, Garrow thought back, knowing instinctively that the boy would understand. _My son is dying…_

The cat—boy—shrugged its bony shoulders. _I have delivered my message_, he—it—said, seemingly unperturbed. _What you choose to do is your own concern. But you would do well to heed it, when you wake from this dream._

_This is no dream,_ the girl said, baring white fangs. _This is a _nightmare.

_Dream dancer…_ The boy turned to the girl, smiling in mischievous amusement. They began to fade, their outlines blurring into the mist. _You…_ the boy continued, but his voice began to fade, too.

"Wait!" Garrow blurted, staring out into the mist, but they were already gone—

He woke up.

_And it was all just a dream_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Sorry for the delay. I meant to get this up yesterday, but my sister broke my flash drive (I saved the last copy there) and so I had to rewrite the WHOLE CHAPTER. –bangs head against wall- Whew! But I like this version better than the last one, so maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Who knows?**

**So, anyway, about the vote—LOL! I got one vote for Brom, one for Morzan, and the other three either didn't mention it or told me to flip the coin already. –laughs- Well, I flipped it. Guess what I got? –grins cheesily-**

**Review responses!**

**Canadian-Girl14: **I think I need to make Murtagh grow up. He's too sweet and cute and innocent; I need to make him MEAN and BITTER and you know, all hot and angsty. XD –hugs Murtagh- Because he's everybody favorite emo kid!

**Mistress-of-Misery**: Lol, you still haven't told me about the _Ice_ corrections. Which I probably will do, provided I find the mistake. XD And I do seem to have developed a morbid fascination with Morzan/Selena, huh? X.x I dunno. It just seems like the whole stupid story CP gave via Murtagh in _Eragon_ doesn't cut it. –stabs CP- I've been reading a lot of anti-shurtugal stuff lately, so um yeah. XD

**Silver Pup**: OMG, hi! Yeah, I hope you don't mind that I took the story and continued it on my own. –laughs- Yep, I had to think of some weird reason why Morzan went all psycho, so I picked something off the top of my head. Glad you like it!

And sure, lol, the puppy thing is fine. –grins- Of course, at the rate this is going, Murtagh ain't gonna get a puppy because life just sucks that way. –huggles- Poor kid, he never gets a break, does he? Not as an angsty adult or an angsty teenager and not even as an angsty kid. I can't wait to read your story, by the way. XD

Yeah, I TOTALLY agree about stupid Gary-Stu Eragon. –stabs- He needs to grow up already—ARYA IS NOT INTERESTED. OKAY? I think the only reason I'll buy _Brisingr_ is for Murtagh. If CP kills him off, I will burn the book and make him eat the ashes. –nodnod-

Anyway, end of this very long babbly rr. –laughs- Seeya!

**GundamWingFanatic90**: I know! I love Aderes, he's like one of my ultimate fav characters like EVA. YEAH! –dances- I'm sure Morzan wouldn't shave your eyebrows…maybe clip them a bit? xD

**Flyingxdragonx123**: Roran shall not die. At least, I hope he won't. Plot has a tendency to run away from me.


	8. Plans and Reassurances

**Blech. I've been having a terrible spot of writer's block lately, I'm so sorry! This chapter really sucks, I know, but anyway…I tried. -.- And I didn't want y'alls to wait ten years for the next chap, either, so I thought I'd just post what I'd written. Hopefully next chapter will be better…**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Marian stared at him hollowly, her eyes red-rimmed but dry. "You must be insane, Garrow," she said, her voice flat and emotionless.

"I—I don't know, Marian," Garrow confessed quietly, sitting down in the chair with a heavy thump. "It seemed incredibly real…"

Marian didn't say anything for a long time, but when she did speak again, her voice sounded years older—tired, weary. "Our son is dying, Garrow."

Garrow sighed, walking over to the small bed where Roran lay, curled up tightly. His heart still beat and he still breathed, but his cheeks were ashy and pale. A _coma_, it was called. The living death, where the only way out was death by starvation—or if you could bear it, a quicker death by the knife.

"I know," he said, containing everything into those two words—his frustration, his pain, his sorrow. "But Selena—"

He broke off, then shook his head. "You're right," he said quietly. "It was a dream. That's all."

Looking out the window, Garrow saw a bright new day—sunny but cool, and just about perfect. Perfect contrast to the dismal scene within.

"But it seemed so real…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aderes was, by nature, not kind. The dragon would be the first to admit that he was a black-hearted creature who was cynical, grumpy, and pessimistic by turns, and quite frankly, proud of his notorious reputation. Now, though, he was wavering in his cynical stance. Morzan lay curled up in a ball under Aderes's inquiring gaze, face buried in the dirt.

_Morzan?_

There was a muffled grunt from the Rider, and Aderes sighed inwardly. They were camped at the bend of the Ramr River: normally only a day's journey to Carvahall, but at this rate...well. Quite a bit longer.

_So...how are you feeling? _Aderes tried, feeling rather stupid. He was a dragon, not a psychiatrist. Aderes glanced at the noon sun and mentally counted the hours since Morzan's last drink—let's see. A day, maybe?

_Tired._

_I think this is psychological_, Aderes said thoughtfully. _You managed for days without alcohol during battles, you know._

_Different_, Morzan sighed, rolling onto his back. _There's adrenaline then. Something to distract me. But now—_

_You just have more time to mope. And to think. And to suffer from withdrawal._

_Correct_, Morzan mumbled, flinging up an arm to cover his eyes.

Aderes shook his head in exasperation, then sighed. Settling down near his Rider, he enclosed Morzan protectively with a wing. _We'll put off Carvahall then._

_No,_ Morzan sighed. With a titanic effort, the Rider forced himself to his knees. _I—I need to find her, Aderes. I guess—_he trailed off, and shook his head. _And apologize. Apologize for the last dismal year. _Morzan hesitated, then added, _And for what I did to Murtagh._

Aderes eyed Morzan with a calculating eye. _Selena's waited for a whole year for this apology. I'm sure she can stand to wait a couple more days until you get cleaned up._

_I don't know if it's just a few more days,_ Morzan groaned, shaking his head.

_Well, as long as it takes._

Morzan sighed. _I don't know—_

_Hush_, Aderes said, his voice softening.

Morzan grumbled, but complied as Aderes gently shoved him back down, settling under the dragon's wing. _What do you think will happen afterwards? _Morzan asked from the cool shelter of Aderes's wing, staring up at the scaly membrane with idle interest.

_What do you mean? We'll go home to Norwood and go on doing what we've always done, of course._

_But Galbatorix—_

Sigh. _He's angry, true. But I don't think he'll hold this against you forever, Morzan. We've known him for so long, and we've always been by his side. One mistake won't erase all that._

_I hope not,_ Morzan said softly, his finger involuntarily trailing to the brand on his shoulder, where the Forsworn mark had been burned out. _Losing trust is very painful, Aderes._

_Mmm. You should know. Now shut up; being philosophical gives me a headache._

Morzan smiled despite his pounding headache. Shifting to get a more comfortable spot on the ground, he closed his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXX

_Somewhere in Alagaesia:_

"It's already failed to hatch for every elf in Ellesmera. What makes you think the Varden will fare any better?"

"Don't be so pessimistic. At this point, I should think that even a human Rider would be welcomed, though. There's no time to be picky."

"Perhaps. What of our thief?"

"Safely hidden away in the Varden from both Morzan's and empire's revenge."

"Mmm. Back to the egg. What if it doesn't hatch for the Varden?"

"Then you'll continue to ferry it back and forth."

Sigh. "If I must."

"You agreed to this duty when you took the yawe."

"Are you implying that I won't fulfill it?"

"Don't take it so personally." Pause. "Is something wrong?"

"It's—nothing. I thank you for your concern, but it is unnecessary. What of your plans for the Last of the Forsworn?"

"I'm working on them. But in short, he dies."

"You'll need to take Aderes out before you do."

"I'm well aware of that."

"You know that Morzan has fallen out of favor with Galbatorix? You may turn that to your advantage."

"By playing on the rift between them? I doubt it. Galbatorix cannot afford to be angry with his last Rider for long."

"At any rate, this may interest you: his wife, Selena, has fled from Norwood Manor along with their son, Murtagh. Morzan himself has asked for leave to pursue his wife and child."

"Has she now? That's interesting. Where do you suppose she'll go?"

"That's for you to decide. I'd suggest Carvahall, though—Selena has a brother there. And it's remote enough so not to attract the attention of those who think you're dead."

"And if I run into Morzan, well, so much the better. Fate seems to have worked out perfectly in this instance. You elves seem to have better sources of information than the Varden. May I ask how?"

"We never give away our secrets, even to a friend of the elves."

"Oh, yes—just as you always tell the truth, just not the way people want it."

"You know us too well."

"Perhaps I do. At any rate, thank you for your information."

"You're welcome. I must be off now if I'm to get to the Varden in seven days. Good bye, Brom."

"Good bye, Arya. Faolin, Glenwing, blessings to you as well."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**The last section with Brom/Arya is modeled after this hilarious scene in **_**American Gods **_**(by Neil Gaiman) where a conversation is held just like that between Samantha Black Crow and two guys named Mister Town and Mister Road (Sam: Did you guys just see things and pick names? 'Oh, you be Mister Sidewalk, he's Mister Carpet, say hello to Mister Airplane?'). XD I thought it was funny. Since I can't write humor, I decided to turn it into an EBIL PLOT DEVICE. Bwahahaha. . -happy cat face-**

**Flyingxdragonx123**: Shan't say! XD Maybe it's morning sickness, maybe it isn't. –evil cackle- Yeah, I hope to make Morzan more…human. I dunno. At the start of this fic, if Brom killed Morzan, everyone would be like, "Hooray!" But I want to make it so people feel sorry for the poor guy…dunno. Did I succeed? O.o

**24 Demon Ice Mirrors**: -laughs- Well, Selena comes back next chapter, so you can see more of her condition then. –shifty eyes- It would be interesting if were Brom, I'd admit. XD Forbidden love!

**Canadian-Girl14**: Put yourself in Garrow's shoes: your son's dying and you get a crazy dream from two catlike people who tell you to run away because your sister's maniac husband is coming after you. -.- Would you believe it?

**Mistress-of-Misery**: Hahaha, I corrected the mistakes. Like, just now. XD I like to leave things off to the last minute; but anyway, they're fixed now. Satisfactory?

Yeah, anti-shurtugal rocks. And some of it actually makes sense, you know—I mean, WHY is the empire that evil? And haha, after reading their enlightening critique of Eragon's mighty poem, I have to say that CP's not much of a poet. Oh yeah. XD

**Review!!**


	9. Hope and Destruction

x

Selena looked uneasily around the dark forest, trying to recall all the reasons on why she was in here in the first place. It had seemed a good idea earlier—in other words, when it was still sunny afternoon and hot enough to give a body heatstroke. The shade had seemed a gift from the nonexistent gods themselves, and the woods were nicely breezy. But now—

She had set out from Angela earlier that morning with enough rations to float an army (or at least get them to Carvahall) and had been riding hard ever since. Murtagh had settled resignedly into another long day in the saddle; now, he looked eagerly at her as she dismounted Topsy. "Mommy?" he said hopefully. "Can we stop?"

Selena looked up and gave him a vague smile. "Yes, love. Let's have dinner," she decided brightly. "We could do with a rest. We'll make camp here and start a nice fire, and then it won't seem so dark anymore." Inwardly, she wondered—who was she trying to convince? Her son or herself?

Murtagh nodded. Selena helped him dismount, lowering him gently to the ground. Murtagh winced as he stood, then yawned. He blinked for a moment, then said again, "Mommy?"

"Yes, love?" Selena asked distractedly, squinting into the darkness, searching for firewood. She picked up a few twigs half-heartedly before looking back at Murtagh, intrigued by the silence. "Yes?" she repeated.

"Are we there yet?"

Selena bit back a smile—Murtagh was very grown-up for a four-year-old, but sometimes... "No, love, we aren't," she said, still smiling as she turned back. "We're going to _Carvahall—_that's very far away."

"Aderes always gets there in four days," Murtagh said thoughtfully, his brow wrinkling.

Selena sobered up at the mention of Aderes. "Well, sweetheart, that's because he's a dragon. On Topsy, though—" she patted the mare fondly— "It should take, oh, maybe two weeks." Her heart sank. Two weeks. Hopefully the ca—Solembum, she mentally corrected herself, had sent his warning. Hopefully Garrow had heeded it. Hopefully Morzan had forgotten entirely about her and was brooding away in Norwood, drunk and dead to the world…

She sighed, shaking her head at her foolish _hopefully_s. Bending down, Selena occupied herself with gathering firewood, using the mundane task as a barrier to thought. It would do no good to fantasize about stupid or useless things when she had an escape to accomplish and a rescue to effect.

A twig snapped behind her. With instincts honed from years of being Morzan's wife—the past year with his drunken rages and the scheming life of the court—Selena froze, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Trying to keep her movements calm and nonchalant, Selena ambled over to Topsy's saddle, calling out, "Murtagh?" all the while.

There was a muffled squeak. Panicked, Selena thrust a hand into Topsy's pack and came up with a short hand dagger, given to her by Morzan for her last birthday. She whirled around, keeping it concealed between hand and sleeve. "Murtagh," she repeated, keeping her voice calm and matronly. "Murtagh, it's time to eat—"

She broke off mid-sentence as a hand grabbed her shoulder hard, pulling her up against another body. Selena reacted as Morzan had taught her—she stomped heavily on his foot and yanked away, bringing the knife up in a wild slash. There was a yell, and then she felt her attacker grab her hand, forcing the knife out of her fingers. A fist slammed into her cheekbone, and other hands grabbed her from behind, fingers digging hard into her shoulders.

"You okay?"

The voice was low and gravelly, and the question wasn't addressed at her. The man in front of her—the one she had tried to stab—nodded and cursed under his breath. She could barely make out his features in the shadows, but the viciousness was clear from the tone of his voice. "Stupid bitch," the man said. "Nearly cut me—"

"Stop whining. She didn't bleed you, did she? You're getting fat and slow, Tomas." Selena squirmed against her assailant's grip, dread coiling up in her stomach. "Looks like we have a fighter here," the voice behind her continued. "I like that."

"Where's my son?" Selena demanded breathlessly. "If you've so much as touched him—"

Another slap shut her up. "See what's in the pack," the man behind her commanded. "And get some irons for the woman."

"And her boy," chuckled a third voice, coming from somewhere behind her. "Look what I found lurking in the woods?"

There was a child's cry, wordless but clear—and then just as clear, the sound of a heavy, harsh slap. "That's him taken care of," said the third voice with no little satisfaction. "Little squirt—"

Selena fought against her captor's hands, rage replacing the fear in her stomach. He'd slapped her son—he'd _slapped_ her son... The man holding her seemed only amused, though, and his hands trailed from her shoulders to other places—disgust and fury mingled together as he spun her around, letting her see the stark lust on his face—

"Thrysta!"

It wasn't subtle; it was the first thing that sprang to mind and was brutal and frankly, messy. But it worked. The man stumbled back—the lust turned into shock, and shock turned into—well, it didn't turn into anything. He fell back, clutching his heart, staring sightlessly up into the sky—dead.

Selena stumbled herself as the magic took its toll—she dropped to the ground despite her best efforts to stay upright. There was a curse, and the second man—Tomas—came running towards her, screaming "Witch!" at the top of his lungs. Selena rolled out of the way of his boot, but not enough—she gasped sharply with pain as the boot kicked into her backside, slamming into her spine. Hands grabbed at the hem of her dress, yanking it hard enough for the fabric to give way with an ominous _rip_. Terrified, Selena looked up at the face of the third man, the one who'd hurt her son—

"_Brisingr!_" she screamed at the top of her lungs, putting all her force behind it, willing with every inch of her body that he burn, _burn in hell_ for what he did.

And he did.

The results were overwhelming—the man was literally borne into the air by a huge explosion of flame that threw him back as a screaming fireball until a tree stopped his path with a sickening thud. Flames crackled; the scent of roasted flesh and burning wood filled the air as the magical blaze took hold of the tree—the fire began to spread at an alarming rate, eating through the greenery...

Frantic, Selena looked around for Murtagh. Her son. Where was her son? "Murtagh!" she cried, snatching at Topsy's reins as the mare reared, dizzy with panic. "Murtagh!" she yelled, coughing as the smoke grew thicker.

"Mommy!"

The cry was faint, from somewhere to her right. Selena spun around and saw nothing but rapidly burning wood and—the survivor—Tomas—stumbling towards her son's voice, just as she was. He yanked a knife from a belt as he ran, his expression twisted into one of ugly hate. Selena turned course and bulled into him—the knife bit into her side, but her mind set aside the pain for later. Cutting her hands, she wrenched the dagger out of his hands regardless of the blade and _stabbed _him with all the force she didn't know she had. Blood spilled out of the wound, stained her hands, seeped into her dress.

Selena panted, staring at the man she'd killed. She'd killed men before, for Morzan. She was used to this. Death was nothing new, really. No. _Really._

She pulled the knife out of Tomas's chest and automatically wiped the bloody blade clean on her ripped skirt. Blood—more blood, her _own _blood—ran down her side, staining anything that wasn't already bright red. The forest around her was burning—her attackers were dead—and her _son_—_Murtagh—_

"Murtagh!" Selena screamed, then coughed violently as she inhaled a mouthful of smoke. "Murtagh, where are you?"

XXXXXXXXXXX

Brom peered out from the woods, his brow wrinkling with uncertainty. According to his map, Carvahall was at least a mile from here. But here was a little cottage, all by itself, far from any neighbors should psychotic brigands come calling.

Well, it was a good thing that he wasn't a brigand, then. Cheered by this thought, Brom tucked his map into his pouch, glancing up at the dark night sky. He'd been traveling for the better part of the day on his horse, but now that he was here, he might as well stop for the night.

"_Go_," he whispered softly to the elfin horse in the ancient language, not without a little regret. But an elf horse would only stand out in this mundane human world, and he needed to blend in. A stranger would already attract suspicion; no need to make it even worse than it already was.

Brom pulled the cloak's hood off with a little sigh, staring moodily off into the distance as he started to hide the more outlandish things he wore into his pack. His goal now was to find Selena, using her brother if necessary. And to use Selena to find Morzan, no matter what. And to bloody _kill_ Morzan once he got the chance. And as for Aderes…

He would take out the dragon first. Let Morzan know just how painful it was to lose your dragon—your life's partner in every way, tied into your heart and soul. Brom paused for a moment, feeling a moment of cold vindication at the thought. On second thought, maybe killing Morzan straight off was a bit too merciful. After off, when he'd lost Saphira, he'd nearly gone mad—

Brom wrenched his mind away from such thoughts, turning back to the present. For tonight, he was going to beg shelter from whoever lived in this cottage, trying his best to be discreet and non-psychotic-brigand-like. Morzan could wait until tomorrow.

He stepped out of the woods, making his way quietly to the front door. He hesitated at the threshold, touching out lightly with his mind to ascertain the inhabitants. Sorrow filled the little cottage—the people inside were grieving for someone.

Brom growled softly under his breath, pulling his mind away and breathing deeply. He was a bit too sensitive to such things, especially since he'd just thought of Saphira...when he was sure he could control himself, Brom raised his hand and knocked on the door.

And waited.

It took quite a long time before anyone answered. Scraping, reluctant footsteps sounded, and then the door was cracked open an inch. "What do you want?" said a dull voice, flat and emotionless.

Brom took a deep breath, steeling himself—the emotion, the _pain_ of the little house was truly overwhelming, now that he was facing it directly. "Have you room for a stranger tonight?" he said, keeping his voice low. "I've been traveling for days now—you're the first sign of civilization I've seen. Can you spare some room for a weary traveler?"

"Garrow, who is it?" called out a tired woman's voice from inside the room. Brom froze at the sound of the name, his mind racing—Garrow. _Garrow_. Selena's brother, wasn't he named Garrow? Hurriedly, he pushed at the man's mind with all his strength—_I am your friend. Let me stay here. I will not hurt you..._

Garrow blinked, his eyes darting about uneasily. He couldn't know it was Brom digging around in his head, but the man had enough willpower to realize an unnatural suggestion when he felt one. "I—" he said hesitantly, then shook his head, giving in. "Yes. Come in. But I'm afraid you'll not find your stay a peaceful one, traveler."

Brom smiled lightly and stepped into the room. Garrow, looking slightly dazed, latched the door behind him. "After days in the woods, anything would be an improvement," Brom said. Garrow looked at him flatly for a moment, then turned to the other adult in the room, the woman who had spoken earlier.

"What do you want?" the woman said sharply.

"Marian…" Garrow murmured.

Marian shook her head, dark shadows underlining her eyes. "We have no room for strangers tonight. Get out. Leave _now_—"

"Marian!" Garrow cried.

Marian inhaled deeply, and to Brom's disconcertment, began to cry. Garrow enfolded her in his arms, but Marian pushed him away and stared at Brom, tears staining her cheeks. "You are not welcome here, whoever you are. Now get _out!_"

"Have I done something to displease you, Mistress?" Brom inquired gravely. He brushed Marian's mind and found it rebuffed by a haze of anger, grief, and fury that swirled inside the woman's head. "I am nought but a humble traveler, seeking your charity—"

"Charity!" Marian snorted, her hands clenching. "What charity do I have to spare while my son lies dying? It's nothing against you, but I have nothing to spare for any stranger today—"

Brom raised a hand, stopping her tirade. "Your son?"

"My second," Marian whispered, tears spilling down in a renewed flood. "My son, my beautiful son, and he's dying now from the coughing sickness and I—" she broke off, sobbing into Garrow's arms.

Brom looked from the sobbing Marian to the red-eyed Garrow, and cleared his throat slightly. "May I see him?"

Garrow flashed him a look. "Are you a healer, sir?" he said, the faintest tinge of hope in his voice. "Our village herbalist, Gertrude, finds herself helpless against this—"

Brom hesitated. "I have some skill, yes."

Garrow paused, and then whispered softly to his wife. Marian choked back a sob and looked at Brom with bloodshot eyes. "Can you?" the woman said. She stepped forward, clutching his arms. "Can you save him?"

Brom gently distangled himself from the distraught woman, his mind calculating. If he could heal this son, then they'd be in his debt and probably willing to offer him shelter for as long as he wanted. They'd vouch for him in the village, pave his way through introductions. And he could wait for Morzan's wife for as long as necessary...

He made his decision. "I can make no guarantees, Mistress, but yes, I am a healer of some degree," Brom said. "If you let me see your child, I will do what I can."

Garrow wordlessly opened the door to the inner room, and Brom entered.

XXXXXXXXX

Aderes raised his head sleepily, blinking muzzily as the faintest trace of smoke reached his nostrils. He snorted and shook his head, rubbing a paw across his nose. There was a groan under his wing; Morzan flopped over in his sleep, leaning against the edges of Aderes's wing.

Aderes inhaled again—there was that smoky scent again, stronger this time. He raised his head slightly and raised an eyebrow as he saw the flickering of red against the black horizon—in the night, it stood out like—well, like fire against darkness. Which it was.

_Morzan_, Aderes said, nudging his Rider.

Morzan gave a limp grunt.

Aderes sighed inwardly and gave an appraising glance at the waters of the Ramr a few yards away. Drastic times called for drastic measures. It was with this cheery thought that he picked up Morzan with a talon and swung him into the cold waters of the Ramr.

"ARRRGH!"

_Oh good, you're awake_, Aderes said unnecessarily. As Morzan surfaced, wet and furious, Aderes flicked his tail at his Rider dismissively. _You've been sleeping all day, you lazy slob, it's time you earned your keep. Look_.

Morzan glared at his dragon. "That was completely unnece—" he began, his voice hoarse.

_Don't I know it? Now stop whining and _look. Aderes gestured at the smear of red in the distance. _Can you smell the smoke?_

Morzan sniffed grudgingly, then shook his head. _No_, he said grumpily, _but your nose is better than mine_.

_Don't I know it. That's fire, though_.

_So_? Morzan said foul-temperedly. _It's probably just the locals celebrating some holiday or the other. Aderes, I was _sleeping—

_By setting fire to half the forest? It's spreading. Look_.

Morzan sighed and looked, this time more carefully. The red was indeed spreading, like a spill of paint against a black background. The faintest outlines of smoke could be seeing billowing from the fire, mushrooming into the sky. _You're right_, the Rider said, his tone growing serious. _That's no controlled flame_.

_We should go help_, Aderes said mildly.

_What can _we _do? You breathe _fire_, Aderes, not water, and I can't possibly make rain—_

_But you can draw water from belowground to put out the flames. And you can search for survivors._ Aderes tsked, shaking his head. _You're still not fully awake, are you?_

Morzan sighed, rubbing his temples. He was soaked and had a dull, pounding headache that really wasn't helping his thinking. And he really had to urinate, too. _Fine_, Morzan said after a moment. _Just give me a few minutes to clean myself up._

_All right, but hurry_, Aderes said, staring fixedly into the distance, and at the growing flames.

XXXXXXXXXXX

**I have nofreakingidea where this is all going, lol. Selena's stabbed, Murtagh's lost, Brom's plotting, Morzan's in grumpy withdrawal, Aderes's…well, Aderes is just Aderes because he's cool. XD **

**I think that this story will last for maybe 20 chapters, max. –nodnod- I don't know yet; this is just a vague speculation. So um yeah. X.x**

**Mistress-of-Misery**: YAY FOR SPONTANEOUS MIRACLE CURES! XD And yay for scheming Broms. Or not. Honestly, I have no idea how this is going to end, now that it's not just a clear case of KILL MORZAN ALREADY! X.x I need a plot bunny. NOW.

**Canadian-Girl14**: Mmmm. I've never liked how CP wrote the story of Morzan and Selena; it just irritated me to death how it was so stupid and clearcut. X.x And the way Oromis told the story of Brom and Morzan just annoyed me SO much, mostly because I hate Oromis, lol. XD

**Flyingxdragonx123**: Garrow as a shrink? –ponders the thought- That would be interesting to write. Not me, though, because I have this terrible inability to write humor of any kind, but that could be a fantastic parody if spun the right way. XD Morzan ain't got a shrink; good thing he's got Aderes, though, to kick him around. :p

**24 Demon Ice Mirrors**: -cackle evilly- The promised Morzan/Selena/Murtagh chase will have to wait until next chapter. Selena set fire to the forest, tsk tsk. –shakes head- All that nice flammable wood…or inflammable wood. Whatever. X.x English does not make sense sometimes. Flammable, inflammable…-mutters under breath-


	10. Flight and Fight

Aderes flew closer to the flames, his ruby eyes glittering in the reflected light. _Don't hover over the damn forest_, Morzan said irritably, shaking his head. _I'll choke to death on smoke if you do_.

_How close do you need to be?_ Aderes asked, apparently ignoring his Rider. But the dragon pulled away, landing about half a mile away from the edge of the burning woods. _Is this close enough?_

Morzan closed his eyes, pushing aside the pounding headache he had. No one said quitting the habit would be easy, so he'd just have to deal with it. He inhaled slowly, tasting the faint tang of smoke and burning grass and fire, letting the crisis take first priority instead of the rangy bitterness of mead, the lazy inebriation that followed—

_Morzan!_

Morzan shook himself as Aderes swiveled around to glare at him, feeling abashed. Okay. Focus. He could do this—put out the fire and maybe even pull off a few heroic rescues. Not that he really felt like rescuing anyone, but after all, he _was_ a Rider of the Empire. That meant he had a Responsibility. Capital letter and all.

Carefully, he cast out a mental net, searching for anyone who was trapped in the heart of the fire. There were plenty of civilians trying to put the fire out on the far side of the forest, but no one seemed to be in imminent danger. Unless—wait.

He touched on atypical mental signatures the same second that the minds felt him—alarm seeped through for a fraction of a second before shuttering off simultaneously, locking away behind mental barriers. Morzan leaned forward in shock, and Aderes swiveled to look at him with a similar expression—_Did I just feel what I thought I did?_ the dragon said slowly.

…_Elves?_ Morzan said incredulously. _It wasn't any human mind, that's for certain. But how is that possible? Out of Du Weldenvarden—_

_Evidently they're braver than we thought_. Aderes unfurled his great wings, rising steadily over the blazing forest. _But now that they've left their woods, they're fair game, I'd say_. _Are you up to it?_

Selena. How long would he have to put off his search for her? He wanted her back, _needed_ her back—he was going to start over; she was his priority—

_Elves, Morzan!_ Aderes snapped.

Morzan clenched his teeth. Elves. Elves outside of Du Weldenvarden. What they'd be worth as hostages, as sources of information for Galbatorix to question. Slowly, unwillingly, he nodded. Selena. Selena would have to wait…

He swallowed hard, then sighed. All right. All right, then. The elves.

He'd felt two minds, maybe three at the very most—the contact had been so fleeting and quick; it was hard to tell. Morzan glanced down at the flickering woods beneath them, running through some rapid calculations as the firefighters continued to battle the flames. _But I'm still going to put out the fire on the edges first,_ he said stubbornly to Aderes.

The dragon was silent for a moment. _If you're going to capture elves, you should save your strength,_ he said finally, his voice carrying a rare amount of tact._The other humans will eventually put out the flames by themselves._

Morzan hesitated, and might have come up with another delaying argument when he saw the flames flicker, then abruptly collapse, vanishing into billows of steam. A great mushroom cloud rose up towards them; Aderes flapped frantically, fighting to stay above the scalding thermals.

A rush of hot, wet air exploded around them—Morzan flung up his hands, automatically shielding them, but it was unnecessary. The worst of the heat was gone—the steam was hot, but bearable. _Aderes?_ he asked, patting the damp scales beneath him. _How are you?_

_I'll live,_ the dragon said, sounding disgruntled. _I'm going to try to get out of this fog. But we've lost the elves, Morzan._

_Just wait,_ Morzan said tersely. _At least the fire's out. But they can't hide forever—we'll find them._

**XXXXX**

Smoke. Flame...

Selena swayed on her feet, disoriented and held up by sheer willpower. She sagged, clutching at the rough bark of what seemed to be the only tree that wasn't burning, feeling the hot stickiness of blood down her side. Unbidden, Angela's prophecy came to mind—mistletoe, mistletoe, the sign of a short life.

She closed her eyes for just a second and opened them to find herself sprawled on the ground. Murtagh was nowhere to be seen, and she was going to die in these godsforsaken woods, because that's what the bones said and the stupid bones _always came true_, didn't they? "Murtagh," Selena said weakly, a last token call for her son. "Murtagh!"

_Selena!_

Selena's eyes closed with relief as she heard the answering call. It took her a moment to realize that her son had no magic and wouldn't call her _Selena_ at any rate—the instant this realization sank in, she shot to her feet, given strength by a sudden burst of adrenaline. Wildly, she looked around her, coughing hard through the smoke—who was that? Who had called her?

A hand grabbed her hard by the waist, picking her up in one fluid moment and depositing her on some kind of moving bulk—Selena screamed, fear and rage exploding out of her at she clawed viciously at whoever was holding her. Any thought of magic fled her mind—only animal panic remained as she fought to break free.

"Malthinae!" her captor cried.

Selena went limp as invisible bands locked themselves around her, confining her into silent horror. Heart pounding frantically, she felt herself being shifted, and her eyes looked up into slanted eyes that spoke of exotic beauty even at a time like this.

An elf—no, _elves_.

Three of them, to be exact. Selena thrashed ineffectually against her bonds, probing at them with a failing strength and a growing hysteria. Elves, elves, elves—what had Morzan said about them? She'd never liked Galbatorix or the Empire, but the elves were _the_ worst, he'd said—proud beings who saw humans as little more than cattle; to kill one was not a crime, as humans were lesser creatures—

Above her, her captor cried out sharply in a fluid rush of the ancient language that was beyond Selena's limited vocabulary. There was a soft hiss, and then billows of steam rose up around them, the reek of wet peat filling the air. Muzzily, Selena realized what was going on: the elf had called on the groundwater to the surface, putting out the flames. But that didn't answer the more important question—what were they doing here? And what did they plan to do with her? And where—gods, _where—_was her son?

Rising over the hiss of steam and the slap of the horses' hooves was a sound that was horribly familiar: the screech of a dragon. Aderes, Shruikan, it didn't matter—the Empire was here. She'd be back in Morzan's hands again, and these elves wouldn't help her—or maybe they were mercenaries, paid to bring her to him in the first place. Selena whimpered faintly, the strength going out of her at that thought. She'd failed. Having staked it all on a madcap escape, she'd tossed the dice and lost. Stabbed, bleeding, and _no Murtagh…_

**XXXX**

Arya stared down at the human woman in her lap as her eyes fluttered shut, succumbing to darkness. _She's unconscious, Glenwing-elda_, she said.

_We have more to worry than that, Arya Svit-Kona_, the older elf said darkly. _The sapphire egg cannot fall back into the Forsworn's hands. Faolin!_

Behind her, the taller elf pulled his gaze down from the sky, his eyebrows slanted with concentration. _Morzan's wife is our second priority,_ he agreed somberly._The steam is hiding us for now, but it won't last very long. Glenwing and I will handle Morzan_. _Run, Arya. Run for the Varden, _he said, the words belying the power behind them.

_No!_ Arya said, her eyes flashing with surprise and anger. _Run while you two take on the most powerful of the Forsworn? I am no coward—_

_You have the egg,_ Glenwing said sharply. _Take the woman_, he added, shoving Selena's unconscious form into Arya's lap. _Bring them to the Varden, princess, out of Morzan's reach._

_You cannot hope to handle a Forsworn and his dragon all by yourself_, Arya began, shaking her head. _Faolin—_

_You said so yourself—the egg is the first priority,_ Glenwing said impatiently. He glanced at Faolin, who had eyes only for Arya, and sighed inwardly. _Princess—you have a duty—_

_He's right, Arya_, Faolin said quietly. _Go._

Arya looked at Faolin for a long moment, her face filled with turmoil. _Be careful_, she said, glancing away from her lover to Glenwing. _I will meet you at the Varden. Both of you._

Faolin nodded simply, and Arya pulled her horse around sharply, riding into the darkness. Glenwing swallowed as another screech sounded, this time much closer. The steam still hid them, but it was fading as the fire waned. Glenwing took a deep breath, checking his magical reserves. He wasn't up to strength after putting the fire out, which was not the optimal condition in which to battle a dragon and his Rider. But what choice did he have…?

He glanced at Faolin and heaved another soft, inward sigh. Faolin and Arya. Glenwing was older than either of them, and had watched the relatively young Arya grow up and fall in love. But it could be debilitating, at times, like now—when she had almost forsaken her duty in favor of love.

Duty. Glenwing inhaled deeply, letting the hot steam fill his nose. He reached out, brushing Faolin's mind with his, noting with approval how the young elf put aside his longing and regret. Red scales flashed above them—the steam was thinning out, and a dragon's night vision would be able to find them without much difficulty. _Wait for it,_ Glenwing said tensely. _When I give the signal, Faolin—_

**XXX**

_I see them,_ Aderes said sharply. He inhaled deeply and was about to let loose with a resounding spurt of flame when Morzan jerked hard on his reins, pulling the dragon up short.

_They just put the fire out_, the Rider said. _Don't set it into flames again!_

Aderes growled under his breath and might have said more if Morzan hadn't let loose a jet of red magic—wyrdfire of some sort, flashing from his gedwey ignasia to arc down toward the two figures, seated on pale white horses, below. White light flew up to meet it, resulting in a brilliant burst of sparks. Aderes reeled back, his vision dancing with bright flashing points even after the initial explosion faded.

Morzan cursed in his mind, and Aderes followed suit when he saw what his Rider was cursing _at_. Instead of just two shadowy pale figures, there now _ten_, running amok in the woods, fleeing in every direction in pairs. Morzan reached out, and Aderes felt with him the same solid barrier blocking every mind of every shadow—no way to find out which pair was real, who were the real elves and not just shadows—

_No_, Morzan said, sounding frustrated. _No, damn it! Dive, Aderes!_

Aderes angled his wings and dived, drawing closer to the canopy. Morzan closed his eyes, rapping out a rapid flow of magic out loud in the ancient language. _Keep them alive!_ Aderes thought frantically as listened, hearing the dark magic embedded in the works. _We need them alive—_

_They will be alive_, Morzan growled. _Just the way I want them to be—_

He spoke the last command, releasing the spell. Centering from where Aderes hovered and spreading out in a neat circle, the magic paralyzed every living animal and being within a short radius, encompassing all the shadows. Aderes watched the shadows carefully, noting as two of them froze and collapsed, while the other eight continued to flee, running to nowhere. Morzan hissed softly, and Aderes could taste the satisfaction in his mind that finally _something _had gone right.

_We'll bring them back to the emperor_, the Rider said, sounding lighter than he had in months. _And once back in royal favor, Aderes, I'll find Selena and Murtagh. And I'll keep my promises. We'll be back to a family, and it'll work out this time—_

_Well, don't gloat just yet_, Aderes said gruffly, trying hard to mask his own satisfaction. _Let's wrap these up and bring them back first, shall we?_ Picking his way through the burned woodland, he settled down carefully on ashy, wet ground.

A few yards away, the frozen figures of two horses and two elves lay on the ground—the only motion was the faint rise and fall of their chests, indicating that they were still alive in their paralyzed forms. Morzan dismounted slowly, turning to grin infectiously at Aderes. _We did it,_ he said, sounding relieved. _It all worked out._

_Finally,_ Aderes agreed affectionately. _Well, it certainly took long enough, didn't it?_

**XXXX**

Morzan was still smiling when the magic broke loose. Glenwing was paralyzed, to be sure, but that didn't stop his mind from voicing the commands that he wanted. The Forsworn appeared in Glenwing's peripheral vision, and the elf took his chance—frozen, unable to move, he poured all his remaining strength into the words of the ancient language, screaming them out with his mind as loud as he could.

The terrible screeching of Aderes filled the air as Morzan wavered, and then collapsed, sprawling across the wet mud. Glenwing felt Faolin's mind acknowledge his deed, savoring his pyrrhic victory. Morzan—a threat no longer. Glenwing took a second to let the relief flood him, buoyed on a sea of pride.

But only a second, as Aderes sought revenge.

**XXXX**

…**I –still- have no plot. So um yeah.**

**Also, this will probably be the last update for maybe two weeks at the very least, because I want to read **_**Brisingr**_** before continuing with any story, even the AU ones (CfE & IP) and **_**especially**_** VF. Hey, Amazon shipping takes a looong time when you live overseas! –mutters under breath-**

**I hope this chap was okay, anyway. It's a bit short, but I think the events kind of make up for that, doesn't it? –ish hopeful- If not, well, I'll try to get out a longer one next time. Also, I can't remember details about the whole Arya/Faolin/Glenwing trio. Faolin and Arya were in love, right?**

**Mistress-of-Misery**: Er…oops. XD I just read the last part of your review. Well, maybe there'll be a miracle. Or something. You never know. I dunno, I wrote this chapter with the vague idea of killing Arya, but the story just kinda went its own way. -.-; Again, no plot! I'm writing this completely spontaneously. XD

**Flyingxdragonx123:** Give a child to Brom to be raised...you mean, like, instead of Garrow, Eragon was given to Brom? That –would- be an interesting idea. Would Brom raise Eragon in the traditions of the ancient Riders, or keep him in ignorance of his heritage? Hrrrrm. Have you started on a story along those lines yet?

**Canadian-Girl14**: Brom and Roran get pushed back to next chapter because I like this one ending where it is, lol. XD But Roran's pretty much guaranteed a miracle recovery because Brom's like, the 133337 former Rider and all. You know you can't fail when you've got all that. XD

**Eryl**: I haven't decided what happens to Murtagh. I don't –think- he's dead, but at the very least he would be paralysed too since Morzan's spell would've hit everybody in the nearby vicinity. But as to his actual fate? That has yet to be decided/written/made up on the spot. X.x

**Mrs.Morzansson**: Do you prefer Mrs.Morzansson or BlueXOrangutang? XD I noticed the name change, and then how you changed it back later. We all know Murtagh's awesome, why change? Yeah, the alert was a little iffy, wasn't it? Glad you liked the chap!

**Review! –poofs in a puff of smoke-**


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